<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Soonhoon Dialogue Prompts by Mistehri</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913065">Soonhoon Dialogue Prompts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistehri/pseuds/Mistehri'>Mistehri</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>「 Slice of Life 」: Forever Soonyoung &amp; Jihoon [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Alpha Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bungee Jumping Date, Canon Compliant, Crack, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jealous Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi is Whipped, Lee Jihoon | Woozi is Whipped, Light Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Naked Cuddling, Omega Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Omega Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Stabbing, Swearing, Violence, Weapons, Zombie Apocalypse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:48:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913065</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistehri/pseuds/Mistehri</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It is what the title says :)</p><p>*Can be read as stand alones*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kwon Soonyoung - Relationship, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>「 Slice of Life 」: Forever Soonyoung &amp; Jihoon [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>288</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. “Your cuteness is making everyone stare. Stop it.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #1: “Your cuteness is making everyone stare. Stop it.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m back :)</p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Having been friends with Soonyoung for ten years and dated him for five of those ten years, it’s inevitable that Jihoon would eventually end up noticing all the little things about him. Being the good boyfriend he is, however, he’s grown to love and adore each of Soonyoung’s imperfections and habits. Whether that be a little scar on his back when they make love, or his habit of fiddling with his earring when he’s nervous, that’s for Jihoon’s information to keep track of and store in a little corner of his mind.</p><p>Over the years and as they grew closer, he’d been unconsciously accumulating a mental list of all of Soonyoung’s endearing quirks and behaviors. Whenever the dancer would jitter and bounce in place, Jihoon would immediately be able to conclude that he’s excited about something. Soonyoung quite literally resembles that of a reaction between coke and mentos under these circumstances ― about to explode. Likewise, when Soonyoung falls unusually quiet during practice after little bouts of yelling encouragements to their members, Jihoon can easily tell that the dancer’s energy is beginning to wear thin.</p><p>Jihoon hates the sight of an exhausted Soonyoung, especially when his boyfriend had given his all and still felt as though his efforts weren’t enough. It’s times like those where Jihoon wishes he’s good with words and affections, even if it doesn’t come in the form of making songs. There’s one habit of Soonyoung’s, however, that Jihoon absolutely despises more than an exhausted Soonyoung.</p><p>It’s Soonyoung’s ability to act cute no matter what he does.</p><p>Now, Jihoon knows it’s not his boyfriend’s fault for being blessed with fluffy cheeks and endearingly slanted eyes. It’s not his fault for receiving the most votes for being the cutest member of the group. It’s not his fault for having a cloud of <em> aegyo </em>following him around wherever he goes. It’s not his fault.</p><p>Yet, Jihoon can’t help but glare at Soonyoung when his boyfriend opens his mouth to let Seokmin feed him a slice of beef.</p><p>They’re at a restaurant, the type of restaurant where you cook on a grill embedded in the table. It’s an off day for them, given them ever so generously by the CEO of their company and although Jihoon should be grateful for finally being able to take his mind off producing music and composing and arranging, there’s a sliver of regret for accepting the offer. It seems as though an off day also meant pampering Soonyoung.</p><p>“Soonyoung-ah,” Jeonghan calls, holding some crab meat between his chopsticks. “Try this too. It’s marinated crab meat.”</p><p>Swallowing the beef down, Soonyoung opens his mouth obediently and lets Jeonghan feed him. He pulls back with a delighted hum, cheeks stuffed and full and making him look even more unnecessarily cute than he should be. If they hadn’t known each other for years, Jihoon would’ve thought his boyfriend was teasing him by now, but alas, Soonyoung is oblivious to these sorts of things. It seems, however, that the rest of their members catch onto Jihoon’s envious state.</p><p>It’s Chan who speaks up next. “Hyung, you like shrimp, right?” At Soonyoung’s enthusiastic nod, he smiles and holds out a piece of shrimp between his gloved fingers. “Here, this is good too. I heard it’s good for the heart and brain.”</p><p>As everyone falls into chaos at the questionable last statement, Jihoon glowers silently from the side, moodily dipping a pork belly strip in sesame oil and accidentally dousing the whole thing in the condiment. Sighing, knowing he’s being childish now, he dabs off the excess on his plate and shoves the whole thing in his mouth. He has to drink water soon after to get rid of the bitter taste, and he smacks his lips twice after, feeling as bitter as the sesame oil.</p><p>“Hoonie, you should try this too,” Soonyoung chirps beside him, already holding out a long sliver of shrimp between his now gloved fingers. “It’s really tasty!”</p><p>Jihoon scowls, pushing Soonyoung’s hand away. “Just leave it on my plate,” he chides. “No need to feed me.”</p><p>Soonyoung presses the shrimp closer to his lips. “Try it,” he insists. “It’s good!”</p><p>“I said leave it on my plate. I’ll eat it later,” Jihoon replies, even pointing at his oily plate. “Seriously, Soons. I don’t want to eat from your hands. That’s weird.”</p><p>Pouting, Soonyoung falters a little, and Jihoon feels a stab of regret strike his heart when he sees the sad look his boyfriend gives to the shrimp. While Jihoon doesn’t like seeing such a negative emotion on Soonyoung’s face, he can’t deny that the dancer looks cute like that, pouting adorably and even sulking a little. His boyfriend is quite literally a kidult.</p><p>He sighs and relents, “Fine. Feed me.”</p><p>Soonyoung automatically brightens up, lips pulled into a smile that looks caught between wanting to grin but not wanting to be too expressive. When he presses the piece of shrimp insistently against Jihoon’s lips, the producer opens his mouth and uses his teeth to carefully take it from Soonyoung’s fingers. As he chews, he feels his ears warm up when Soonyoung stares at him while he eats with an expectant look on his face.</p><p>“What?” he questions once he’s swallowed the shrimp. </p><p>“Is it good?” Soonyoung asks, tilting his head. </p><p>Jihoon licks his lips, the remnants of sesame oil and the shrimp lingering on his tongue. The taste is tangy, as though it had been marinated in some sort of barbecue sauce or soy sauce. There’s a hint of spice too, not too much but enough to be noticed. Overall, it is quite delicious, but Jihoon would never admit he wants to eat more of it lest Soonyoung tries to feed him again.</p><p>“It’s good,” is what he says, and like that, Soonyoung grins. </p><p>Jihoon doesn’t realize the dancer is already deshelling another shrimp until it’s too late. Soonyoung presents another piece of shrimp to him, much larger than the last one. Jihoon doesn’t have the heart to reject the offering lest he wants to see the dejected look on Soonyoung’s face again, so with an exasperated but fond sigh, he opens his mouth and lets his boyfriend feed him another piece, inwardly smiling when he sees Soonyoung’s eyes glimmer happily.</p><p>“How cute,” Mingyu coos teasingly in front of them, and Jihoon’s eyes flicker to his to glare at the younger man. “Who knew the key to making Soonyoungie-hyung happy is to let him feed you, hyung? You should let him feed you always, huh?”</p><p>“Be quiet, Kim Mingyu,” Jihoon responds, undeterred. “Mind your own business.”</p><p>“The shrimp is good, right, hyung?” Chan asks from the other end of the table. “Even Soonyoungie-hyungie likes the spice, and you know he doesn’t have a good spice tolerance.”</p><p>“It’s not spicy!” Soonyoung defends himself, already deshelling another shrimp. “I don’t think my spice tolerance is <em> that </em>bad. I can handle this shrimp!”</p><p>Everyone chuckles at that, endeared.</p><p>“Cute,” Jeonghan croons.</p><p>Jihoon feels that familiar, horrible, envious feeling again, especially when Seokmin, who’s sitting on Soonyoung’s other side, reaches over and pinches Soonyoung’s cheeks lightly with a coo. He scowls, the taste of the shrimp long forgotten in his mouth. Huffing quietly, he reaches for his chopsticks and grabs a tofu cube from the hotpot, then nudges Soonyoung’s shoulder to gain his attention.</p><p>“Say ‘ah,’” he demands, presenting the tofu up to Soonyoung’s mouth. His boyfriend looks surprised, shock flashing in his eyes for a brief second before they glint with delight, and he obediently opens his mouth so Jihoon can slide the tofu in. He sets his chopsticks down and leans his temple against his fist, watching as Soonyoung chews with cheeks full of food and love, even as a bit of sauce dribbles down his chin.</p><p>“Hyung, wipe your mouth,” Seokmin giggles, reaching over for a napkin to hand Soonyoung. “Ah, really. It’s like taking care of a cute kid.”</p><p>Jihoon is already two steps ahead of him, unconsciously frowning at the statement as he reaches over and uses his thumb to wipe away the sauce from Soonyoung’s chin. He ignores the surprised look his boyfriend gives him, which consists of wide eyes and eyebrows shooting high on his forehead,  and before Jihoon can stop himself from looking like more of an idiot than he already is, his mouth betrays him.</p><p>“See?” he huffs, rather sulky as he wipes his thumb on a napkin. “Everyone is starting to notice your cuteness. You need to stop it.”</p><p>Looking even more startled, Soonyoung’s eyebrows nearly shoot up to his hairline as he stares at Jihoon, and the producer has the sudden urge to just slam his face against the table, or maybe dunk his whole head in the hotpot and hope the redness of his ears won’t give away how flustered he is. What he said was out of character, and he’s not sure if he’ll ever be able to look Soonyoung in the eye after this, especially now that he’s said something as stupid as that.</p><p>Soonyoung grins, teeth not quite showing from the tofu in his mouth, but even so, Jihoon has no doubts he’d smile brighter than the sun had there not been food filling his cheeks. </p><p>He looks away, ears still hot as he forcefully shoves a piece of sliced pork belly into his mouth to hide the quivering of his lips that threaten to break out into a smile. He inwardly curses Soonyoung for making his happiness contagious, because now the fluttery feeling in his stomach won’t stop, and his fierce blush won’t quell down either.</p><p>“Jihoonie!”</p><p>There’s a brief pause, and then Jihoon suddenly finds himself being smothered in Soonyoung’s arms, the dancer nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck affectionately. Jihoon clicks his tongue, leaning away slightly just so he can breathe but not quite pushing his boyfriend away. Like he said, he hates seeing an upset Soonyoung more than anything, and he knows time and time again that the dancer is only ever sad when he rejects his affections.</p><p>“Bubba, you’re cuter, did you know?” Soonyoung half whines, half mumbles into his neck. “Don’t say things like that so suddenly. The tofu almost went down the wrong pipe. Ah, really...I — I really will kiss you next time you say things like that.”</p><p>Jihoon snorts, taking a sip from his cola. He knows it isn’t possible to get drunk from soda — or so he thinks anyway — but he might as well be considered tipsy at this point, because the next thing he says makes him want to dunk his face in the hotpot and close the lid on his head.</p><p>“Is that a threat?” he asks, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he lazily peers at his boyfriend. “Kiss me then.”</p><p>Soonyoung’s expression is absolutely comical. His mouth drops open in disbelief, eyes wide and eyebrows shooting high. He looks as though he’s debating whether to go with his “threat” and kiss Jihoon, or go the opposite route and punch him, and for the record, Jihoon wouldn’t really mind either decision. Soonyoung is physically and mentally incapable of hurting a fly, so he isn’t too worried.</p><p>Much to his dismay, however, Soonyoung settles for hiding his face back in the crook of his neck with another loud whine.</p><p>“Jihoonie,” he whimpers, voice shaking from giddiness. “Don’t — Don't say things like that, I said. I don’t want to kiss you now though. My breath probably smells horrible.”</p><p>Jihoon clicks his tongue. “You think my breath is any better?” he retorts. “And here I was thinking I’d get a kiss. I’m disappointed, bubba. Woe is me.”</p><p>Soonyoung giggles, then reaches up and places a sloppy, wet kiss on his cheek. “There’s your kiss,” is what he says, as though he should be <em> satisfied </em>with what he’s given to Jihoon. The latter is far from pleased. “Don’t look so grouchy, bubba. I’ll make out with you once we get back to the dorms and I’ve brushed my teeth.”</p><p>Jihoon lets out a grunt. “I guess that’ll suffice,” he harrumphs with a sigh. “I’m holding you to that make out session, Soonyoung.”</p><p>There’s a groan from in front of them, and Soonyoung bursts out laughing. Jihoon glares at the intruder, even more disgruntled now because of their ruined moment, but the perpetrator looks unapologetic.</p><p>“Right in front of my hotpot, really?” Mingyu says exasperatedly. “Take your shenanigans somewhere else, please. We’re here to eat food, hyungs, not each other.”</p><p>“Sorry, Mingoo,” Soonyoung coos, now leaning his head on Jihoon’s shoulder. “Bubba, let’s leave now then. I’m full.”</p><p>“You’re lucky I’m not the one paying, Kim Mingyu,” Jihoon says, already making a move to stand up. The promise of a make out session had excited him far more than he would like to admit. “Tell the others me and Soonyoung tucked in for tonight.” </p><p>“Tucked in for each other, more like,” Mingyu scoffs, but he waves them off. “Aish, leave now before Cheol-hyung notices. You know he’ll start interrogating you two.”</p><p>With a satisfied, pleased smile, Jihoon grabs a giggling Soonyoung’s hand and pulls him out of the booth, the both of them making their sneaky getaway successfully. The producer thinks Jeonghan had seen them, but knowing the older man, he most likely won’t say anything now. He’ll probably interrogate Jihoon on his own, but the producer will worry about that later.</p><p>“Jihoonie, bubba,” Soonyoung giggles. “Slow down. We’ll both get tummy aches at the rate you’re going. The dorms aren’t too far from here anyway. We can take our time, you know?”</p><p>“Stop being cute,” is what Jihoon says instead, turning to look at Soonyoung’s shining eyes. “Seriously, all the members want to hog and pamper you because you’re too adorable. That should be <em> my </em>job, not theirs. The faster we get back to the dorms, the faster we can brush our teeth.” He pauses, then smiles slyly at his boyfriend. “And the longer we can makeout.”</p><p>He only catches a glimpse of Soonyoung’s disbelieving expression before he turns his head and begins running, the dancer’s hand still intertwined with his as he shouts, “Now come on! I’m not gonna wait any longer!”</p><p>Even when Soonyoung laughs with a flustered, “Jihoonie,” leaving his lips, the dancer chases after him, and their laughter echoes amidst the cold night air.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since Twitter is becoming a little toxic lately, especially with what’s going on right now, here’s a little drabble to (hopefully) brighten up your day :) I was honestly thinking of holding this back until I had another drabble written down, but after everything that’s been going on, I thought it would be best to finally release this. I’m just gonna wait and trust our boys and hope the issue gets resolved &lt;3</p><p>If you came from Twitter, terribly sorry for my mini vent, haha. I personally didn’t recognize L&amp;R sounding like any other song when I first heard it, but if another artist says otherwise, then I’ll just let him and Pledis resolve this matter behind the scenes.</p><p>These drabbles will be updated irregularly (because I don’t want to stress myself) until my new fic, “If You Desire, My Prince” is released. I’m currently still writing chapter 3 but progress is slowly but surely getting there :)</p><p>And yes, the shrimp scene was inspired by that Christmas GoSe episode where Soonyoung was trying to feed Jihoon but he refused, lmao. I also don’t know why I decided to make them call each other “bubba” but it’s cute, so why not?</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. “How much of that did you hear?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #2: “How much of that did you hear?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were a lot of things on Soonyoung’s list of things to do today, such as treating Minghao and Jeonghan to a mini brunch, and finally getting around to playing MapleStory with Seokmin after the younger man had begged him numerous times to do so. Admittedly, eavesdropping wasn’t on that list, but it somehow snuck itself in and claimed a spot at the bottom. He didn’t mean to do it in the first place, but it just sort of happened. If you ask him, he’d tell you it’s not his fault that he’s just naturally curious, which, he reasons, is normal for a person who has a full chart of Gemini.</p><p>He was just heading to Jihoon’s studio to drop off some food and make sure the producer was taking care of himself as per usual when he heard voices come from inside. Now, that wouldn’t have been so weird considering they usually record in said studio, and Soonyoung had already been halfway to twisting the handle when he heard Seungcheol’s voice. The moment he heard their leader’s voice, he paused, because Seungcheol doesn’t usually come down to the studio unless it’s to record his part, and Soonyoung knows they have nothing scheduled today.</p><p>Eavesdropping had been his first mistake. </p><p>His second mistake was touching the handle, because here he is, awkwardly holding it and feeling his grip slip from the sweat accumulating in his palm. If he lets go now, it’ll definitely make a sound and alert the people inside, and as much as he wants to make his presence known to his fellow leaders, something inside him is telling him to hold himself back for a bit, to wait patiently. He listens, of course, because it’s his gut instinct telling him to do so, but now he’s stuck trying not to let go of the handle.</p><p>“...don’t stress too much about it,” Seungcheol is saying when Soonyoung zones in on their conversation. “You know how he is. He’s loud with his affections, so it’s possible he won’t even notice what you’re trying to do until he catches on. He’s kind of oblivious like that anyway.”</p><p><em> Who are they talking about? </em> Soonyoung questions inwardly, readjusting his grip on the handle carefully and leaning his ear closer to the door. <em> Maybe it’s Seokminnie?  </em></p><p>There’s a deep sigh that comes from Jihoon, and contrary to Seungcheol’s words, he sounds stressed. “I know, but just — What do I even say to him? How do I go about it? Just, like, walk up to him and tell him I have a whole fucking album dedicated to his entire existence? Tell him that I love him so much that not even words could explain so I made him six songs instead and I have more written on the way?”</p><p>Soonyoung’s lips part at that, eyes widening at the confession. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he feels his heart go <em>plop </em>down the pit of his stomach at the realization. Jihoon likes — no, <em>loves </em>someone — and that someone isn’t him.</p><p>He doesn’t remember when exactly he realized he’d fallen in love with the producer, but one thing is for sure — he isn’t oblivious to the way he feels now. He thinks it’s been a few years now, constantly trying to win even an ounce of Jihoon’s affections only to receive rejections in return. He fell victim to the producer’s charms — his laugh, his smile, his god damn entire existence. Just everything about him made Soonyoung fall deeper in love with him. It’s been quite a long time since he first realized it, that he’d fallen for his best friend, but the realization wasn’t all that shocking to him. He thinks he’s unconsciously known it all along.</p><p><em>But now, </em>Soonyoung thinks sadly, eyes lowering to the handle, <em>I finally have an answer. All those rejections...it’s because he’s already in love with someone else. I was too late.</em></p><p>There’s a pause, then a curt, “Well, no shit, Sherlock,” from Seungcheol.</p><p>Soonyoung hears Jihoon sigh again. “Hyung, I’m serious about this. I’ve...been thinking about what you said last week, about confessing to him, I mean — ” Soonyoung’s heart sinks a little deeper, “ — and I just feel like it’s the right time. Just — honest talk. Do you think I’m being irrational right now?”</p><p>There’s another pause, and Soonyoung can almost see Seungcheol putting on his thinking cap, how the leader’s eyebrows furrow, lips pulled into an unconscious pout and eyes distant. He readjusts his grip on the now sweaty handle, and he carefully shifts his weight from one foot to another. The plastic bag he’s holding nearly hits the door from the movement, and his toes curl in his shoes as his face twists into a tight grimace. </p><p>“It’s good that you’re acting on your feelings, Ji,” comes Seungcheol’s steady voice, as though he’s thinking about what to say, “but you do realize what’s wrong here, right?”</p><p>Jihoon sounds sad when he says, “I know,” and Soonyoung wants nothing more than to open the door and sweep the producer into his arms in a comforting hug. He’ll probably get pushed away like he’s done before, but he’s used to it, no matter how much it pains him.</p><p>Seungcheol seems to tell Jihoon what’s wrong despite the producer acknowledging it, and Soonyoung doesn’t know whether to be happy or upset. </p><p>“Ji, how can you confess to him when you reject his affections every time he shows you even just a bit of his love?” Seungcheol is the one who sighs this time. “Don’t get me wrong, Jihoon, I’m all for you being confident enough to confess, but how do you think he’ll feel when he realizes you like him after all those rejections he’s gotten from you? Confused, right? Maybe even a little hurt, because you’re confessing to him like he’s been doing to you. The only difference is, he’s the type of guy to allow that sort of thing to happen and not call you out on that hypocrisy.”</p><p>”Okay, I get it! I know — just — ” Jihoon snaps suddenly, huffing. It’s quiet for a hot minute, and Soonyoung can almost feel the tension seeping through the cracks of the door. Then Jihoon continues, much more softly this time. “I’m not — I don’t know anything about — about love, Cheol. It’s scary. He’s, like, I don’t know — just — we’re, like, complete opposites. He’s all bright and smiles and sunshine, and I’m just...not the same. And it’s funny because whenever we work together, he just...gets me. Like, if I ask him how something sounds because I feel like it’s missing something, he can tell me straight off the bat what I need to add or remove. It’s scary, how much he understands, and I think that’s why I keep pushing him away.” </p><p>Soonyoung has to swallow the lump in his throat as the silence makes itself home again. His heart is pounding with anxiety, mind racing as he mentally nitpicks at his members, who Jihoon might be talking about. It doesn’t help when Seokmin pops up into his head. He’s noticed that Seokmin and Jihoon had gotten closer over the years, and for the most part, Jihoon’s description of his crush fits perfectly with the main vocalist.</p><p>He feels a little bitter at the thought. </p><p>“It’s really up to you, Ji,” Seungcheol speaks up again, sounding tired now. “If you think you should do it, then you should do it. I’ll support you and him if he returns your feelings, but Jihoon, listen to me. I don’t want you to keep rejecting his affections once you’ve confessed. You’re only gonna give mixed signals to him, and then what? You know how sensitive he is to other people’s emotions, and you know he won’t tell us if he’s hurt or not. I don’t want to see you hurt, Jihoon, but I also don’t want you to hurt him.” </p><p>”I know, I know...” Jihoon mumbles, voice muffled. “I — I can’t promise anything, but I...I can try. Sorry, I’m just — I just suddenly felt like it was the right time to do this. I didn’t realize how impulsive it would be.”</p><p>Seungcheol chuckles quietly. “So you’ll tell him tomorrow? Did you finish the songs?”</p><p>There’s a brief pause before Jihoon speaks, “Um, yeah, I finished the songs. I don’t really feel the need to finalize them though. I think it sounds more...sincere like this, I guess? Like, without all the autotune and whatnot. I — should I just, like, ask him to listen to the songs first and then confess? I mean, he’s type who wouldn’t know I’m trying to confess to him just by songs alone.”</p><p>Seungcheol laughs. “You know him best out of all of us, Ji.”</p><p>There’s another pause, then a certain, “Yeah, I’ll confess like that. I’m gonna go grab a drink. You want anything?”</p><p>”Some sleep, preferably...”</p><p>Soonyoung doesn’t realize Jihoon’s voice had gotten closer and closer to the door, neither does he realize that Jihoon had started walking towards the door until he feels the handle turn under his hand. He’d been too deep into his head analyzing which member Jihoon could possibly have a crush on that he didn’t hear the sound of footsteps coming towards him. </p><p>Jumping a little with a small, startled gasp, Soonyoung’s head shoots up just as Jihoon opens the door. When the producer looks up and sees him, his own eyes widen in surprise and he staggers back a little, letting go of the handle and causing the door to swing open wider.</p><p>An awkward silence rings through the air, and Soonyoung can vaguely see Seungcheol peering up curiously before his face morphs into an expression that reads, <em>oh shit. </em></p><p>It’s Jihoon who snaps out of their staring contest first, and oddly enough, his whole face turns pink down to his neck, his hand coming up to scratch his nape. He seems weirdly nervous, but then again, he’d just caught Soonyoung eavesdropping on his conversation with Seungcheol. The dancer thought Jihoon would’ve been mad, but his reaction is the complete opposite of what he’d been expecting. </p><p>“Uh, Soonyoung?” Jihoon starts slowly, tone tense. “I — What are you...doing here...?”</p><p>Soonyoung blinks, mind reeling to think of what he can possibly say when he feels the plastic bag hit his leg. It’s then does he remember he originally came to visit Jihoon to drop off food.</p><p>”Uh,” he says dumbly, tongue thick in his mouth as he raises the bag pathetically. “I — uh, food. I came to drop off...food.” </p><p>Jihoon’s eyes trail to the bag, then slowly back up to Soonyoung’s face, then back towards Seungcheol who unhelpfully shrugs in return. Soonyoung feels his hands growing clammy, heart racing at all the possibilities that could happen once Jihoon finds out he’d been eavesdropping on them. Unintentionally, but still — the thought of Jihoon harshly directing him during their next recording session as punishment is enough for him to feel nervous. </p><p>“I...” Jihoon trails off, finally looking back at Soonyoung with a now red complexion. “How much of that did you hear?”</p><p>Now, Soonyoung could never lie to save his life. That mafia game they’d played during a filming for GoSe had been an exception that he still has yet to figure out how he never got caught. Still though, Soonyoung could never lie to save his life, especially when the matter concerns Jihoon in any way, because he’s in love like that and Jihoon deserves nothing short of the truth. </p><p>So with an abrupt bow, he wails, “I’m sorry, Jihoonie! I didn’t mean to! I swear I didn’t! I was only supposed to check up on you and make sure you had something to eat, but I ended up hearing your conversation with hyung and I just — I ended up hearing a lot of it, but I swear I didn’t mean to. Promise! I won’t do it again, I promise!”</p><p>There’s another awkward silence that passes, and Soonyoung gnaws hard on the inside of his cheek, fingers tightening around the plastic bag he’d grabbed with both hands. All he can train his eyes on is his sneakers and Jihoon’s Gucci slippers, which move backwards almost hesitantly. </p><p>Jihoon steps away, and Soonyoung raises his head up sheepishly, ready to beg on his knees for forgiveness when he realizes that Jihoon is stepping aside and gesturing for him to go in. The producer doesn’t meet his eyes, but his ears are terribly red. He looks even more nervous than before, and Soonyoung’s confusion only grows when he catches Seungcheol giving Jihoon a thumbs-up before he gets up from the couch and slips out the door. He pats Soonyoung’s shoulder on the way out, then disappears down the hall. </p><p>Jihoon closes the door behind him, clearing his throat. “Uh, you can set it down there.” He gestures to the coffee table, then scratches his nape again as he walks over to sit in his chair.  </p><p>Soonyoung blinks, remembering the plastic bag in his hand. “Oh, right. Yeah, sure.” </p><p>He tries to make himself comfortable like he usually does, but he finds himself awkwardly standing once he sets the bag down on the coffee table despite the couch placed behind him. The thick tension in the air isn’t helping either. He watches as Jihoon fiddles with his computer and clicks a few things before he pulls up another chair beside him. His movements are clumsy, frantic, rather unusual for him, and Soonyoung blames himself for peeping in on something that obviously wasn’t meant for his ears. </p><p>Jihoon breaks the silence first, patting the chair beside him. “Do you...want to listen to it?” he offers.</p><p>Soonyoung stares at him dumbly. “Listen to what?” </p><p>“Err...the songs I made,” Jihoon replies, looking away. “The six songs I made for — for — yeah...”</p><p><em>No,</em> Soonyoung wants so desperately to say. <em>I don’t want to listen to the masterpieces you’ve created with someone else in mind. I’m not strong enough to handle it. I don’t want to hear the lyrics expressing your love for them, and I don’t want to hear the melody that came straight from your heart, so raw and pure like all your songs are. Why couldn’t it be me, Jihoon? Why can’t it be me? I’m right here. Why, why, why, why, why —</em></p><p>“Are you sure...?” he asks hesitantly instead. “I mean...isn’t it personal to you?"</p><p>Jihoon only shrugs, holding out the headphones. “I mean, you were bound to listen to it anyway,” is what he says, voice soft.</p><p>Soonyoung stares at the headphones. “Oh, uh,” he utters, not sure what to say. “Yeah, sure. I’d...I’d love to."</p><p>Jihoon smiles shyly at him, cheeks blossoming a pretty pink as he hands over the headphones to Soonyoung, and Soonyoung only hates himself more for putting them on. He tries to seem eager, not wanting to confuse Jihoon with why he’s sad about something that never truly belonged to him to begin with. All he can do now is try to be as happy as he can, then maybe he’ll have a chance to cry himself to sleep later, away from Jihoon’s eyes and their member’s curiosity. </p><p>“Um,” Jihoon mumbles, clicking a few files on the computer. “This — This song is called 'Smile Flower.'”</p><p>He plays the file then proceeds to shove his hands in his lap, not looking at Soonyoung. The dancer thinks it’s better that way, because he knows he won’t be able to quell the heat behind his eyes if Jihoon were to look at him with that same shy smile. </p><p>The soothing sound of an acoustic guitar fills his ears, and he finds himself instantly captivated by the tune as much as he doesn’t want to. All of Jihoon’s songs have that affect on him, it seems, and not even songs dedicated to Jihoon’s crush remains unscathed from Soonyoung’s ears. </p><p>Then the voice comes, and it’s so raw and pure that it has Soonyoung tearing up a little. The words are beautiful, all from the heart. Despite how soft and sweet the song is — which he now realizes is a ballad — he can feel the emotion Jihoon put into it, and he can feel Jihoon’s heart as though it were passing through his own ears. Ballad or not, Jihoon always has a way of making people feel emotions so intense they move you, whether in happiness or to tears. </p><p>It’s no surprise that Jihoon is talented, that he can makes songs from scratch within two days if he’s were asked to do it, but it’s in moments like these where Soonyoung keeps finding himself pleasantly surprised with each and every song Jihoon lets him listen to. </p><p>Before he knows it, the song ends with a soft lull, and he finds himself straining his ears to catch the very last echoes of the sound. He stays quiet for a moment, still basking in the almost haunting melody of the tune and trying to take it in. He feels as though he’d just been wrapped in a warm embrace and sung to sleep. </p><p><em>Comfort, </em>he thinks, <em>is the perfect way to describe this song.</em></p><p>Opening his mouth to express his thoughts, he’s a little startled when Jihoon speaks up before him. His voice is a little frantic, a little nervous, quivering with tension, and Soonyoung only finds himself more confused when the producer introduces the next song to him without waiting to hear his thoughts like he usually would.</p><p>“The — The next song,” he mumbles, clicking more files on his computer. “It’s called ‘Habit.'"</p><p>The song plays before Soonyoung can get a chance to speak, but he stays quiet, listening as the low bass of the electric guitar fill his ears.</p><p>At first, the melody sounds comforting, similar to 'Smile Flower' in a way where it could lull you to sleep. Like a lullaby of sorts. Then, <em>then, </em>Soonyoung tunes into the lyrics and suddenly, the melody isn’t as comforting as he made it out to be in the first place. It sounds almost painful now, and the emotion in Jihoon’s voice makes a familiar, small lump swell in his throat.</p><p>He doesn’t realize how tense he is until the bridge comes through, and it’s then can he feel all the emotions Jihoon is trying to project. He releases a breath as the cymbals clash powerfully, and he wipes his sweaty, trembling hands against his sweatpants.</p><p>The song dies down with the twinkle of the keyboard, and Soonyoung is left breathless by the impact.</p><p>As much as he doesn’t want admit it, he loves the songs so far, as he loves all of Jihoon’s songs. He wants nothing more than to express to the younger man how powerful his creations are, ballad or not. Jihoon deserves to hear the appreciation for his songs, for all his hard work and dedication. Jihoon deserves every single praise.</p><p>It seems, however, the producer is quite oblivious to how much he wants to speak, because he goes ahead and introduces the next song without pause.</p><p>“This one is called 'Getting Closer,'” he mumbles, already clicking on the file before Soonyoung can grab his attention. “Uh, it’s kind of — it’s a lot different than the other two you just heard, but...yeah."</p><p>Soonyoung braces himself for the “a lot different” part, but he doesn’t expect 'Getting Closer' to sound almost...angry. Angry in a desperate way, as though someone — <em>Jihoon </em>— is trying to gain the attention of something, or <em>someone</em>. </p><p>The song is fierce, powerful in an obvious way as opposed to the last two songs he’d just heard. The emotions don’t have to be read between the lines, but rather, they’re in the music itself. They’re in the way the cymbals clash and the drums pound, they’re in the bass drops and EDM chords. Soonyoung can feel every beat and tune thrumming inside him, and it makes his nerves quiver in a way where his hands begin trembling again.</p><p>Jihoon’s high notes never fail to amaze him and neither does his rap, and Soonyoung finds himself itching to hear more of it. The song ends with the last of the high notes ringing through his ears, and he lets go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding.</p><p>“Next one is called 'Us, Again,'” Jihoon says quietly.</p><p><em>I don’t want to listen anymore, </em>Soonyoung wants to say. <em>I don’t want to hear you pour out your heart to someone else,</em> <em>but I’m stupid in love with you and you deserve nothing but appreciation. </em></p><p>Silently, he waits for Jihoon to play the song.</p><p>The hook that plays in the beginning is catchy but elegant. It’s like another version of 'Smile Flower,' comforting in the sense that it makes Soonyoung feel safe. He just wants to grab the song out of the computer and wrap Jihoon’s voice and all the melodies around his shoulders to embrace him. </p><p>The lyrics are nothing short of beautiful, comforting as is 'Smile Flower.' Soonyoung can feel himself becoming one with the music, eyes drifting closed as he lets himself feel what Jihoon feels.</p><p>Jihoon’s emotions are always hectic, but they’re beautifully translated into paper and ink once he sorts them out. Soonyoung considers himself lucky to be able to hear these songs first, to be given the privilege of hearing Jihoon’s voice like this, raw and unfiltered.</p><p>A heavy weight settles in his chest when he realizes that despite being granted such a privilege, he has to remember that these songs are meant for someone else. These songs are meant to be heard and appreciated by someone else, someone who is hopefully deserving of Jihoon’s love. He hates the thought but he can’t be selfish. Jihoon deserves to be loved and happy, even if it won’t be with him.</p><p>The hook enters his ears again and that’s when he realizes the song is ending. He almost feels forlorn, wishing he could’ve taken the time to appreciate the song more instead of dwelling in his own feelings. </p><p>Inhaling shakily, unable to say anything past the lump in his throat, he allows Jihoon to play the next song wordlessly.</p><p>The melody of the next song sounds a little more brighter, with what sounds to be something akin to cowbells in the background and the deep sound of the keyboard chord progression. Jihoon also sounds more brighter, less pained, but the lyrics are a subtle contrast to the mood of the song.</p><p><em>How fitting, </em>Soonyoung thinks absentmindedly, pointer finger drawing circles where it lies on the desk.</p><p>The music pauses briefly, but then Jihoon’s vocals come in again, and Soonyoung is blown away with how powerful it is. This, he thinks, is the most painful part of the song, and when Jihoon’s high notes push through, desperate for <em>something</em>, he feels tears spring into his eyes, a small burning sensation sitting on the bridge of his nose.</p><p><em>Wow, </em>he thinks sadly, turning his head slightly to look at Jihoon’s side profile. <em>My love...what kind of person brought you so much heartache?</em></p><p>As the song begins to turn quiet, Jihoon speaks, “That one was 'Second Life,' and...this next song is called ‘Hug.'"</p><p><em>Please, </em>Soonyoung begs internally, eyes slipping shut again to prevent his tears from falling. <em>Please stop. I can’t take it anymore, please.</em></p><p>‘Hug,’ despite the comforting lull of the electric guitar, only adds onto the heat on the bridge of his nose, and he finds himself pathetically trying to hold in his tears when his ears catch onto the lyrics. Despite creating ‘Second Life,’ Jihoon seems as though he's trying to comfort the person who hurt him so much, and Soonyoung despises it.</p><p>The lump in his throat is something he can’t swallow down anymore, and much to his dismay, it only seems to grow bigger.</p><p>Despite what other people may say, Jihoon’s heart is too big. It’s so selfless of him, to comfort someone despite being the one in pain, and Soonyoung wants nothing more than to bring him into his arms and shield him from all the bad things in the world.</p><p>With that same lull of the electric guitar, the song finishes beautifully, but Soonyoung can’t find the courage to open his eyes lest he wants to start crying. It hurts so much.</p><p>“Um...” Jihoon says quietly, movements slow now. “Yeah, that was ‘Hug’...and this last one is called ‘What Kind of Future.’"</p><p><em>I’m not strong enough, </em>Soonyoung whispers in his mind. <em>I want to know who it is.</em></p><p>The piano starts again, soft and achingly beautiful. Soonyoung thinks that’s all he can describe all of Jihoon’s songs as — beautiful. It’s true though, all of Jihoon’s songs are journeys within itself, an emotional rollercoaster, and Soonyoung is no victim to the tears on his pillowcase.</p><p>The chorus is just as painful as the verses, and Soonyoung’s heart aches terribly. He feels like he can’t breathe, lungs tight and pinched and making the ache in his chest hurt more. As much as he doesn’t want to keep listening, something about Jihoon’s songs captivate him strongly, and he stubbornly tells himself that he has to listen, so he can tell Jihoon how much he loves the songs although he hates why the songs have been created.</p><p>The bridge begins to build up into the climax, and Soonyoung can’t hide it when he feels tears slip beneath his eyelids, unable to hold it in anymore. He bites down <em>hard </em>on his bottom lip to prevent any noise from slipping out. He’d hate to ruin the moment by ugly crying.</p><p>As the last notes fade out into silence, Soonyoung opens his eyes slowly and is immediately greeted by the blurry sight of the desk. He blinks, clearing his vision for a split second only for it to become blurry again. He exhales slowly, breath shaky as he reaches up to wipe at his tears.</p><p>“So...” Jihoon breaks the silence, sounding shy. He doesn’t acknowledge Soonyoung’s tears when he looks at him. “Um...how — how was it?"</p><p>Glancing at him, Soonyoung removes the headphones and hangs them around his neck, swallowing hard. It takes a while for him to answer, simply because he fears his voice would break and he’d start crying trying to express all the intense emotions he’s feeling. Jihoon has always had that sort of affect on him.</p><p>“I — “ he croaks, and he doesn’t expect for his voice to sound so <em>raspy. </em>Clearing his throat, he tries again. “Wow, I — Jihoon, I don’t — I don’t even know what to say...that — it was beautiful. All of it. It always is."</p><p>Jihoon’s smile is so lovely, something small and shy, but he’s glowing. His cheeks bloom a warm pink and he ducks his head a little, smile growing wider. While Soonyoung normally loves the sight of a happy Jihoon, he feels his chest ache instead.</p><p>“Thank you,” he mumbles, fiddling with the ends of his sleeves. “So, um..."</p><p>“Well,” Soonyoung starts, placing the headphones on the desk and offering Jihoon a smile. “You should eat, Jihoon. It’s a little past lunch and you’ve been working nonstop lately. I keep telling you to take care of yourself but you never listen to me."</p><p>Jihoon looks a little startled, eyebrows furrowing as his face morphs into confusion, then hurt. “Wait,” he says weakly. “Um...aren’t you gonna say something?"</p><p>Soonyoung blinks, turning his head to look at the screen where the layout of ‘What Kind of Future’ is shown. Maybe Jihoon wants some feedback after all, but he doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know if there’s anything to fix at all.</p><p>“There’s really nothing to say,” he says honestly, oblivious to the way Jihoon shrinks into his seat and avoids his eyes. “I mean, the songs really are beautiful, Jihoon. You really never fail to make me emotional every time, y’know?” he chuckles a little, trying to ignore the rapid pangs in his heart. “But yeah, I can’t really think of anything else to say."</p><p>Jihoon only looks more hurt. “Oh,” he says quietly. “Oh, um...okay. Yeah, that’s okay. No worries."</p><p>Soonyoung tilts his head with a confused smile, unsure of why Jihoon looks sad. “Don’t take it the wrong way, Jihoon. The songs really are beautiful. I love them." He pauses for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in his throat when he whispers, “Um...whoever you wrote them for...he's pretty damn lucky.” He clears his throat again. “Do you mind if I listen to ‘Hug’ again?"</p><p>He misses the way Jihoon’s head shoots up, his eyes widening. “What...?"</p><p>“Can I listen to ‘Hug’ again?” Soonyoung repeats. “If you don’t want me to, then I won’t, but I just really liked the sound of it — "</p><p>Jihoon shakes his head. “No, what did you say before that?"</p><p>Soonyoung licks his lips. “Uh...whoever you wrote those songs for are pretty damn lucky?"</p><p>Jihoon blinks at him, once, twice, then he sinks back into his seat with a loud exhale, looking simultaneously relieved and worried. He covers his mouth with his hand, then rubs his face in a way that tells Soonyoung he’s stressed out, and the dancer can’t help but feel a little confused at the gesture.</p><p>“Soonyoung,” Jihoon speaks slowly, peering at him through his fingers before taking his hand away from his face. “What exactly did you hear when you eavesdropped on me and hyung?"</p><p>Feeling his ears warm up at the reminder that he did, in fact, eavesdrop, Soonyoung licks his lips again. “Uh,” he says, trying to recollect his memories. “I think hyung was telling you not to stress about something? Stress about confessing, I think."</p><p>Jihoon blinks again, then lets out a sigh. “You didn’t hear me say who it was?"</p><p>Soonyoung shakes his head.</p><p>Jihoon sinks into his seat again, rubbing his eyes. “Soonyoung,” he repeats. “Those songs...I wrote them for <em>you.</em>"</p><p>This time, it’s Soonyoung who blinks, not quite sure he heard correctly. His heart begins pounding for an entirely different reason altogether now.</p><p>“What?” he croaks dumbly. “Songs — they’re — songs...for <em>me?"</em></p><p>Jihoon looks away from him shyly, neck red with embarrassment. “You buffoon,” he huffs, crossing his arms as he shrinks into himself. “Yes, those songs are for <em>you. </em>You, Kwon Soonyoung. I <em>like </em>you."</p><p>Soonyoung blinks again. “Come again?"</p><p>Sighing, Jihoon unfolds his arms and goes back to clicking things on his screen until a list of files pop up. From what Soonyoung can tell from the ‘untitled’ name, these are all songs the producer is working on.</p><p>“All these songs,” Jihoon starts, clicking on a few more files, “are written for you. Even some of our comeback songs and side tracks — 'Falling For U,’ ‘Run To You,’ even our fucking debut song — I wrote with you in mind.” He stops clicking then, whirling in his chair to face Soonyoung and shoving his hands in his lap. “And...if you don’t like me, that’s fine too. Just — Just tell me so I can kick you out of the studio and save myself from more embarrassment."</p><p>Soonyoung stares at him for a moment, how Jihoon fiddles with his fingers, how he fidgets in his seat every few seconds as though he’s itching to just <em>move. </em>The dancer feels as though he can’t breathe, but this time it’s for an entirely different reason altogether.</p><p>“Soonyoung,” Jihoon says, sounding desperate. “Please, can you say something — "</p><p>Soonyoung’s breath stutters. “And...what if I like you too?"</p><p>Jihoon meets his eyes, looking flustered. “Oh,” he utters. “I — you do?"</p><p>Soonyoung licks his lips once more and nods, feeling his ears warm up. Out of habit, he reaches up and fiddles with his earlobe, seeing as there’s no earring hanging from it. </p><p>“Oh,” Jihoon says again, seemingly not knowing what to say. “Oh. Um, that’s good. I mean — yeah..."</p><p>An impulsive thought comes into Soonyoung’s mind but he bats it away as quickly as it came. He doesn’t want Jihoon to <em>not </em>like him anymore if he ever does such a thing, especially without asking first.</p><p>“Um, so...” Soonyoung says, a little awkward. “Are we, like — do you wanna be, like, together or — "</p><p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake."</p><p>Abruptly, Jihoon leans over and places his hands on Soonyoung’s thighs, then cranes his head and tilts it slightly. The dancer almost has no time to react before Jihoon leans forward and presses their lips together in a shy but firm kiss.</p><p>Soonyoung’s eyes widen in surprise, and as much as he wants to savor the feeling of Jihoon’s plush lips against his, he doesn’t get to. Almost as quick as it came, it disappears just as fast. He’s left staring at Jihoon’s red face, eyes avoiding his and hands quivering where they’re settled on his thighs.</p><p>“Are we boyfriends or not?” he demands, though it’s weak.</p><p>It takes a moment for Soonyoung’s brain and limbs to cooperate with him but when it does, he grabs Jihoon by his arms — catching the producer by surprise — and yanks him forward, pressing their lips together again. Jihoon makes a noise of surprise in the back of his throat, tensing for a moment before he relaxes, responding to Soonyoung’s kiss soundlessly.</p><p>They stay like that for a moment, noses nuzzling against each other's ever so slightly. Soonyoung lets his hands fall down to grip at Jihoon’s waist, and Jihoon’s own hands hesitantly comes up to grab at Soonyoung’s biceps, fingers squeezing gently.</p><p>Too caught up in the moment, they both remain unaware when the doorknob slips open until it’s too late.</p><p>“Hey, hyung! Cheol-hyung says you <em>shooooould..."</em></p><p>With a gasp, Jihoon abruptly jerks away, nearly flying back into his seat. Soonyoung clears his throat awkwardly, pursing his lips to prevent a smile from breaking out. His heart flutters wildly in his chest. his whole face burning and fingers twitching to touch his lips and feel the tingles.</p><p>
  <em>Wow.</em>
</p><p>When he turns his head, he finds Seungkwan and Chan staring at them with wide eyes and mouths agape. </p><p>
  <em>Oh, shit.</em>
</p><p>”What — " Jihoon’s voice cracks and he clears his throat. “What did you need, Seungkwan-ah?"</p><p>“Uh...” Seungkwan says slowly, turning his head to make eye contact with Chan. Wicked smiles spread on both of their faces. “Cheol-hyung says you should wrap things up since we’re having a group dinner at 4, but if you’re busy doing something else — <em>or someone else</em> — I can just tell him you both won’t be there."</p><p>“Boo Seungkwan!” Jihoon exclaims, face flush to the bone.</p><p>“No biggie, hyung,” Chan adds on cheekily. “Maybe you should lock the door next time, huh?"</p><p>“You little rascals — "</p><p>Soonyoung laughs, yanking Jihoon into his lap when the producer stands up and takes a few steps towards the youngest members. He locks his arms around Jihoon’s waist to prevent him from moving, then rests his chin on the producer’s shoulder, ignoring the way Jihoon lets out a startled yelp and wriggles in his arms.</p><p>“Soonyoung, what are you — "</p><p>“Thanks, you two,” he tells Seungkwan and Chan with a sweet smile. “We’ll go to the group dinner, so if you can kindly leave the studio and tell Cheol-hyung that, it’ll be greatly appreciated."</p><p>“Soonyoung!” Jihoon exclaims again, flustered.</p><p>Seungkwan and Chan snicker, the both of them turning around to leave the studio. Of course, they don’t leave without a chance to tease the two captains.</p><p>“Don’t forget to use protection,” Seungkwan croons, already making a move to leave before Chan does.</p><p>Chan grins, reaching over to pull the door closed as he chimes, “Don’t forget to lock the doors!” With that, he closes the door before either of them get the chance to speak.</p><p>It’s quiet for a moment, the tense air dissipating into something more comfortable now, then Jihoon groans.</p><p>“Their time in the recording booth won’t be so fun now,” he mutters darkly, tugging at Soonyoung’s arms to remove them from his waist. “Don’t think you’re off the hook either, Kwon Soonyoung."</p><p>Soonyoung grins against Jihoon’s nape, tightening his arms around his waist instead. “I know, but can I listen to the songs again?"</p><p>Jihoon grunts, “You already had your chance to listen to it!"</p><p>“But it’s different now that I know they’re written for <em>me,” </em>pouts the dancer. “Pretty please?"</p><p>With a defeated sigh, Jihoon reaches over and hands the headphones to Soonyoung. “Fine. Only because it’s you."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This prompt was really fun to write, especially when Jihoon found out Soonyoung didn’t know he was talking about him &gt;&lt; </p><p>Ngl, I’m not very satisfied with the ending and I think you can tell how lazy I got, haha. I honestly just didn’t know how to end it and I didn’t want this to be too long considering it’s just a prompt (though I ended up writing 6k+ words &gt;&lt;). This kinda wasn’t as dramatic/angsty as I wanted it to be and writing how each song sounded like was difficult without trying to sound repetitive.</p><p>I was kinda debating whether to change the prompt to “Only because it’s you” instead of “How much did you hear?” but I just decided to stick with the latter of the two options.</p><p>Not much progress with IYD, MP :,) but I’m proud that I made a lot more progress compared to last week. Ah...inspiration and motivation, where are you? Hahhaha.</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. “Can I have your shirt?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #3: “Can I have your shirt?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, I am posting this on my lunch break, and yes, my brain is fried from trigonometry ;;</p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s around 3 a.m. when Jihoon is awoken from his deep, needed slumber. He’s had a long day of producing that lasted for 15 hours straight yesterday and frankly, he’s still a little exhausted from looking at the screen for too long and going with minimal food and water. So when he feels hands tugging his shirt gently, of course his first instinct is to ignore it. He assumes Soonyoung is just moving around in his sleep like he usually is, so he doesn’t think too much about it.</p><p>The tugging, however, doesn’t stop for a while, so Jihoon takes to letting out a grunt and batting the hands from his shirt lightly. He sinks back into the comfort of the bed with a sigh, relaxing when he doesn’t feel anything.</p><p>He assumes Soonyoung would’ve gotten the message then, that he doesn’t want to be disturbed right now, but the hands come back sooner than he’d expected it to. With another swat, a little more forceful this time, he turns over and shoves his face into his pillow with another grunt, hoping his point would come across clearly this time. The more he moves, the more he finds himself rousing from his needed slumber, and he can feel the irritation slowly seeping in.</p><p>Waiting for a moment to see if anything else would happen, his tense muscles relax again when there’s no further response from the dancer. He lets his eyebrows relax where they’re furrowed and he lets out a relieved sigh, sinking back into his slumber contently. </p><p>He’s on the brink of falling back asleep when the <em>damn </em>tugging comes back.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, his patience wearing out thinly, Jihoon shoves the hand away with a warning growl and drawls, “Soonyoung, quit it, god damn it. I’m trying to sleep."</p><p>It falls quiet for a moment, the silence beginning to set in. Just as he’s about to relax again, he hears it. A soft sniffle, accompanied by an airy whimper and subtle, shaky exhales. Although it’s not very loud, the sound has Jihoon sitting up from his belly-down position on the bed, alarmed at the familiar noise.</p><p>Taking a moment to rub the sleep out of his eyes first, Jihoon turns his head and feels his heart break at the sight of Soonyoung’s wet eyes and quivering lips. He’s playing with the hem of his own shirt, fingers twitching nervously and thighs bare where his tears fall. Jihoon spots the omega’s sweatpants hanging off the edge of their bed and he frowns, wondering if Soonyoung is running a sudden fever.</p><p>It doesn’t take long for anyone to guess that Soonyoung is a sensitive person, but he isn’t one to cry so easily. In this instance though, his emotions are going haywire, his usual pomegranate scent turning sour quickly and Jihoon immediately deducts that something is wrong. </p><p>When he looks past Soonyoung to the other side of the bed, he feels his heart drop as the realization slaps him across the face to wake him up even further.</p><p>On the perimeter of their bed, the blankets and pillows have been completely rearranged into a circle, surrounding Soonyoung’s side of the bed and almost in the process of completely surrounding Jihoon's. Random articles of the alpha's clothing are strewn about in a messy but particular fashion that can only mean one thing. A few of Soonyoung’s sweaters lie here and there, and all of Jihoon’s courting gifts decorate the border of clothing as extra details, placed with care amongst the clothes.</p><p>Jihoon feels guilt swell up within him when he sees Soonyoung wiping frantically at his eyes, lips pursed into a tight frown and nose turning red.</p><p>“I just wanted — I wanted your shirt...for — for my nest,” stutters Soonyoung meekly, reaching down to play with the hem of his sweater and avoiding Jihoon’s eyes. “I’m sorry, you can — you can go back to sleep. I can return your clothes..."</p><p>Twisting his body around until he’s properly sitting up, Jihoon rubs his hands down his face, shame and embarrassment heating up inside his chest. How he’d forgotten Soonyoung’s heat coming up is beyond him because he’d always kept track of his omega’s heats. He supposes he’s a little more exhausted than normal but it’s no excuse.</p><p>It’s one thing to forget his omega is nesting, but it’s another thing to outwardly <em>reject </em>his omega from using his clothes. Rule number one when Soonyoung begins his nesting period is to never, <em>ever </em>shame him for making a nest in the first place. It’s like a safe zone for him, especially since he's extra sensitive around this time, and shaming him would be similar to that of taking away his comfort zone.</p><p>Rule number two is to always, <em>always </em>let Soonyoung steal his clothes, especially if he’s already wearing it. When Jihoon had first realized Soonyoung was taking his clothes when they spent his first heat together, something inside him was just telling him to shut up from pointing it out. At this point, it’s not quite unusual anymore now that they’re dating and they’ve spent numerous heats and ruts together, but it still catches Jihoon off guard when he expects to see his favorite sweater hanging in his closet and it’s nowhere to be found. That is, until he’d seen Soonyoung wearing it. </p><p>Rule number three — Jihoon’s had to learn this the hard way when they spent Soonyoung’s first heat together — never, <em>ever </em>make a rude or brutally honest comment about Soonyoung’s nest. If it’s messy, don’t talk. If it’s comfortable, praise him even more. Any sort of insult will make his omega go wild trying to make it look perfect for him, and although Jihoon didn’t see what the big deal was, he didn’t want to see the sight of Soonyoung trying to hold in his tears again, or smell the sourness of his usually sweet pomegranate scent.</p><p>Soonyoung is already dejectedly turning back to retrieve Jihoon’s clothes when the alpha takes his hands out of his face. Quickly, he reaches out to stop the dancer from doing such a thing, an apology on the tip of his tongue.</p><p>“Wait,” he says with a sigh, loosening his hold on Soonyoung’s wrist. Gently, he tugs his omega towards him and apologizes, “I’m sorry. I’m just a little more exhausted than usual. I didn’t mean it. Come here, baby."</p><p>Reluctantly, Soonyoung turns back around and crawls into Jihoon’s lap, thighs surrounding his hips as he tucks his head into the alpha’s neck and inhales deeply. Jihoon presses a gentle kiss on his temple, wrapping his arms securely around his omega and patting his lower back gently. Like that, he can smell Soonyoung’s pomegranate scent going from sour back to sweet, and he lets out another sigh, relieved.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he says again, gently kneading at Soonyoung’s spine. “I forgot you were starting today."</p><p>“Bad alpha,” Soonyoung mumbles against his neck, clearly still a little hurt. He melts into an abrupt purr when Jihoon kneads a particular knot at the base of his spine. “Lower. A little to the left — no, my left. A little high — there.” Jihoon feels him sigh next to his ear. “Ow, ow — no, keep going! Just — <em>yes.” </em></p><p>Chuckling, Jihoon cranes his head up and plants a few kisses along Soonyoung’s jawline. “I can massage you,” he offers. “Your back is going to start aching later."</p><p>Soonyoung lets out a grunt and pulls away, a frown creasing on both his lips and forehead. “I need to finish my nest first,” he says, a little petulantly, tugging at Jihoon’s shirt again. “So...can I have your shirt?"</p><p>Swiftly pulling his shirt over his head, Jihoon flinches back in surprise when he feels a cheeky thumb brush against his nipple. Scowling as he shakes his hair out, he glares at a grinning Soonyoung, who looks even more victorious when Jihoon hands over his shirt to him.</p><p>“Soonyoung,” he reprimands.</p><p>“Thank you,” Soonyoung croons, already moving to add the new addition to his growing nest before Jihoon can scold him anymore. </p><p>Sighing, unable to do anything about it now, Jihoon leans himself up against the pillows and watches his omega tuck his shirt between a pair of sweatpants and a denim jacket. Amused, he looks on as Soonyoung begins to rearrange the clothes until he’s satisfied, sitting back on his feet with a pleased look. He’s cute.</p><p>Soonyoung turns to him then, and Jihoon hitches an eyebrow when his omega leans over and tugs at his sweatpants.</p><p>“Sweatpants,” he demands. “Give."</p><p>Chuckling, pursing his lips to hide his endearment, Jihoon slides his sweatpants off and hands it to Soonyoung. He watches, smiling as his omega frets over a sock that had fallen out of place, and he can’t help but find Soonyoung’s sulky expression adorable. The dancer places the new addition amongst the growing nest of clothes, then turns to Jihoon again with an expectant look.</p><p>Jihoon raises an eyebrow. “What?"</p><p>Leaning forward, Soonyoung tugs at the hem of his boxers. “Give."</p><p>“Soonyoung!” squawks Jihoon incredulously. “You can’t be serious! I have more in the drawers; take those instead."</p><p><em>“Give,”</em> Soonyoung drawls, glaring at him. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Besides, I already took the ones in the drawers. So <em>give.</em>"</p><p>Jihoon’s ears warm up but he challenges Soonyoung’s glare with his own, undeterred. “You <em>what</em> — you know what, never mind. If you think I’m sleeping naked, then you are sorely mistaken, Soonyoung-ssi."</p><p>“No give?"</p><p>Oh god.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, Lee Jihoon, what have you done?</em>
</p><p>Soonyoung leans back on his feet again, face crumpling dejectedly. He looks like he’s about to start crying again, and to hell with it, Jihoon would never forgive himself if he made his mate cry. </p><p>With a defeated sigh, a silent reprimand towards himself, and hot cheeks, he slides his boxers off and hands it over reluctantly, unable to look Soonyoung in the eye as he curls his legs up to his chest. Soonyoung brightens up, even giggling a little as he snatches the article of clothing and adds it to his collection, and Jihoon can’t find it in his heart to stay mad at him.</p><p>“It’s finished,” he chirps proudly after he’d taken off his sweater and his own boxers and added it to his nest. He looks around, then at Jihoon and asks the golden question, “How does it look?"</p><p>Jihoon saw this coming. He’s been practicing, in fact, all to make sure he doesn’t say something that could be potentially insulting. Humoring his mate a little, he looks around, eyes traveling over the lumps of clothing and the little decorations of courting gifts. He won’t lie — it’s messy. Messy, but comfortable.</p><p>“I like it,” he says after a moment, carefully analyzing Soonyoung’s face for any signs of negativity. “It’s cozy, like home."</p><p>Soonyoung beams at him, looking pleased with himself, and Jihoon thinks he’s done a job well done. All that practice was worth it.</p><p>Patting the space beside him, Jihoon opens his arms and allows Soonyoung to curl up against him contently with a sigh, until they’re cuddling as bare as the day they were born. Gently, he strokes his knuckles over the omega’s spine and presses down on the knots, chest rumbling when Soonyoung lets out a pained noise, then a purr of satisfaction. </p><p>Jihoon frowns. “You’ve been overworking yourself in the practice room again, haven’t you?” he accuses.</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” slurs Soonyoung, eyes shutting. “Lower. Low-<em>er! </em>Shit, that hurts."</p><p>“You’re making an appointment with the chiropractor when your heat is over,” Jihoon says firmly, resorting back to gentle massaging. He tries not to pay attention too much when the inside of Soonyoung’s thigh brushes against his downstairs, and he’s quick to use his own thigh to block Soonyoung’s from touching too much. “Soonyoung, behave."</p><p>The dancer peeks at him with a cheeky grin. “My heat is gonna come anyway,” he drawls with a pout. </p><p>“And you know what happened last time you went through a premature heat?” Jihoon shoots back, raising an eyebrow. “I swear, you’re more insatiable than I am during my ruts."</p><p>Soonyoung’s cheeky grin turns sheepish. “Okay, fine,” he huffs, “but can I at least suck you off?"</p><p>“No, Soons,” Jihoon laughs, instantly peppering his omega’s face with kisses when he sees him become pouty again. “As much of a win-win situation that is, you can wait one more day, right? Besides, I’ll need to save my energy so I don’t tire out so easily like your last heat. Need I remind you that I came <em>dry </em>six times because you wouldn’t stop bouncing on my — "</p><p>“ — which I will forever be proud of,” Soonyoung cuts him off shamelessly, a hint of a purr in his throat. “I made you cry."</p><p>"You made me <em>cry,” </em>Jihoon emphasizes, digging his fingers into the dancer’s side, feeling smug when Soonyoung giggles. “I don’t do crying. Unless we’re watching Grave of the Fireflies, then I’ll cry all I want, but that’s only for you to know and no one else to find out about.” He rolls their bodies over and growls against Soonyoung’s neck, playfully nipping and biting at his collarbone.</p><p>Soonyoung bursts into peals of laughter, craning his head back but not quite pulling away. “Ah, yes,” he sighs, endeared. “You and your love for Studio Ghibli films. Can we watch Totoro when my heat blows? And that one with the dragon — what was it?"</p><p>“Spirited Away?” Jihoon chuckles, soothing the bites with loving kisses.</p><p>“Yes, that one,” affirms Soonyoung. “I like that one. That no face guy is such a glutton."</p><p>“Like you?” Jihoon pokes at Soonyoung’s tummy playfully, laughing when his omega pouts up at him with a meaningless glare. “I’m joking, love. Don’t think I haven't noticed you stealing food off my plate when you think I’m not looking. You can eat all the rice balls and soup you want and I’d still love you."</p><p>“You better,” huffs Soonyoung. “And for the record, diets suck. I don’t know why I even tried. In all seriousness though, I really wanna watch Totoro again."</p><p>Jihoon laughs, rolling back over and tugging Soonyoung’s body on top of his. “Fine, we can watch Totoro and Spirited Away once your heat is over. For now, you and I should both get some rest because we’re gonna have a <em>long </em>day tomorrow."</p><p>Soonyoung hums in agreement, nuzzling his nose into Jihoon’s neck. “Are you <em>sure </em>you don’t want me to suck you off right now?"</p><p>“Go to sleep, Soonyoung."</p><p>“Party pooper,” grumbles the dancer, and Jihoon’s lips curl up in amusement. “Okay, but, like, what about grinding — "</p><p>Jihoon slaps the back of Soonyoung’s upper thigh. <em>”Sleeeeeeeeeep,” </em>he drawls.</p><p>“Ugh, you’re no fun, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung whines against his chest. </p><p>“Trust me, I will be <em>tons </em>of fun tomorrow once your heat starts, and unless you want me to be <em>oh so gentle </em>with you when you’re begging for me to take you, I suggest you pipe down and stop asking for sex now,” Jihoon says, voice turning more raspier the more he feels exhaustion sink in again. “If you behave and go to sleep, I promise I’ll be extra rough on you tomorrow, okay?"</p><p>“Okay, sleeping now,” Soonyoung says quickly. “Goodnight, Jihoonie."</p><p>Jihoon can’t help but laugh as he shakes his head, pressing a kiss on the crown of Soonyoung’s head. “Goodnight, love."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I completely forgot I had this finished until I checked. If you came from my twt post, then yes, I am not over one of the most superior Jihoon looks. Also, Soonyoung looked so babie, and there was so much contrast between the two, I thought it was perfect.</p><p>This was basically just them being domestic while cuddling naked and being casual with dirty talk. Or this was basically Soonyoung being needy and Jihoon trying not to give in and barely succeeding. Either way, domestic Soonhoon always wins :&gt; Might save the smut for a later chapter &gt;&lt; </p><p>If you were on my twt profile when WWWP ended, you might have noticed that this was one of the options for the next AU’s before IYDMP was chosen ^^ tbh, I’m kinda glad this one wasn’t nominated for the next AU otherwise it would’ve been very short. </p><p>I was originally supposed to post that zombie apocalypse AU I was crying about on twt, but I still haven’t finished it so this came out instead. I feel like I’ve been dragging it out tbh &gt;&lt;</p><p>Also, chapter 2 of IYDMP comes out on Monday~ the sneak peeks are up on my twt if you wanna see~</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. “We need to talk about what happened last night."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #4: “We need to talk about what happened last night."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m sorry. </p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jihoon, we need to talk about what happened last night."</p><p>Jeonghan silently looks up from his phone and raises an eyebrow at the serious tone in Soonyoung’s voice. The dancer is usually ever serious when it comes to dancing and <em>that </em>in itself is scary enough. It’s common knowledge now that Kwon Soonyoung becomes a different kind of human being when dance is involved in the matter, and he becomes a different species altogether when something involves Jihoon.</p><p>Judging by the expression on Soonyoung’s face, however, Jeonghan can immediately deduct he’s still pissed about what happened last night. He inwardly smirks at the thought of it. The round lasted fairly long thanks to Soonyoung and Junhui’s initial enthusiasm in the beginning, but now that they’ve finished, it was Soonyoung who ended up being mad about the <em>incident. </em></p><p>Jihoon slowly puts his mug of black coffee down when he hears Soonyoung’s voice behind him, the bitterness melting onto his tastebuds as it does with his heart. Of course — of fucking <em>course</em> they need to talk about it. He didn’t know what he was expecting, as though Soonyoung would let last night’s incident slip by so easily.</p><p>Chan, who sits on the stool of the island, glances at Mingyu, who’s looking through the fridge and trying hard to make it seem like he isn’t listening in on their conversation, but he’s failing miserably. It’s almost hilarious how hard they’re both trying to be casual, but Jihoon knows they’re not going to make a move to leave anytime soon. Jeonghan simply stays put in his seat, looking very much intrigued yet knowing.</p><p>“Soonyoung,” sighs Jihoon instead, turning to look at the dancer. “Can we please not talk about it here?"</p><p>“No, we’re going to talk about it now whether you like it or not,” Soonyoung says firmly, crossing his arms. “What the hell, Jihoon? Can you please explain to me what you did last night because what the<em> fuck."</em></p><p>“There is nothing to explain — "</p><p>“Don’t use that excuse on me. You told me the same thing last time and I believed you, but I won’t fall for it again. I want an explanation!” demands Soonyoung, leaning forward across the counter to stare the producer in the eye. “How could you do that to me? You — You did that in front of me...I saw it with my own eyes, Jihoon. You can’t excuse anything! I was sitting right there but you decided to just go for it, didn’t you?"</p><p>Jihoon scoffs, rolling his eyes and taking another sip of his coffee. “Stop it. You’re being dramatic — "</p><p>“Oh, so fuck my feelings then, huh?"</p><p>“I didn’t mean it like that — "</p><p>“Um.” Mingyu clears his throat, looking very much like he doesn’t want to be here. “Should we, uh, leave? Or something?"</p><p>“No!” exclaims Soonyoung, slamming a hand on the counter. “Everyone needs to know what kind of sick person Jihoon is. He — He’s — He betrayed me! He promised never to do it again but he went behind my back! I cried myself to sleep that night, Jihoon, but all you did was laugh at me and tell me I was a loser. What kind of boyfriend does that?"</p><p>The younger members fall silent at the implication, looking at each other wearily. At this point, they’re stuck in their spots if Soonyoung so much as says so. The dancer can be scary when he wants to be, and he can be <em>especially </em>scary when he wants something.</p><p>(He usually wants Jihoon but that doesn’t seem to be the case this time.)</p><p>Jeonghan chuckles a little, and Soonyoung is quick to aim a sharp glare towards him, one that his him quieting down instantly. Like he said, Soonyoung can be a scary person when he wants to be, and even <em>he</em> isn’t a victim to the cold glares the younger man gives him.</p><p>“In my defense, Jeonghan-hyung was really good with his hand,” Jihoon says, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek when Soonyoung glowers at him. He’s adorable. “Besides, it wasn’t like I was going to make it any easier for you after what you’ve put me through. You’re playing the victim now, but need I remind you of the last time you backstabbed me?"</p><p>“But I didn’t do it again!” Soonyoung protests. </p><p>“That doesn’t make it any better, does it?!” Jihoon exclaims, flailing his hands around. “At least I wasn’t so upset about the outcome, unlike <em>you."</em></p><p>“You’re <em>my</em> boyfriend, Jihoon,” retaliates Soonyoung, waving a hand towards Jeonghan’s direction. “Not his! Lately, it just seems like you’re always gravitating towards hyung! Tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it!"</p><p><em>Oh dear, </em>Jeonghan muses to himself. <em>He’s really pissed now.</em></p><p>“There is nothing to <em>fix,</em> for fuck’s sake!” cries Jihoon, throwing his arms out exasperatedly. At least he’s used to their little fights. “There’s nothing wrong with you, okay? I’m not at fault here either. Why don’t you blame Jeonghan-hyung for trying to get in between us? If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be fighting right now."</p><p>Jeonghan rests his chin on the palm of his hand with a lazy grin. “Don’t bring me into your lover’s quarrel,” he drawls. “I had nothing to do with anything. I simply encouraged Jihoon to do it with me so you’d be mad, and he agreed."</p><p>Mingyu and Chan look at each other with worried eyes, similar thoughts running through their heads. For a moment, Chan has half a mind to run and tell Seungcheol what’s going on when he feels Jeonghan’s hand on his knee, preventing him from moving.</p><p>“Hyung,” he hisses underneath his breath. “What the heck is going on? What exactly did you encourage Jihoonie-hyung to do?"</p><p>Jeonghan gives him a cheeky smile. “Cheat,” he says simply, turning to look at the two captains arguing with each other.</p><p>Chan gapes at the side of his face incredulously. For a moment, he’s at a loss for words. Never in his life did he think he’d see the day where Jihoon would cheat on Soonyoung, given how heavily in love the two are with each other. Never in his life did he think <em>Jeonghan </em>would be the one to encourage it either.</p><p>“H-Hyung!” he stammers, trying to regain his senses. “That’s — That’s horrible! Why would you encourage something like that?"</p><p>Jeonghan chuckles, picking up his phone and scrolling through it as if he isn’t the very cause of something tragic. “They’ll be fine,” he says dismissively, waving his hand. “Besides, you know me by now, don’t you, Channie? I do this all the time. You act like I’m new to this when I’m an expert."</p><p>“Cheating?!” Chan exclaims, flabbergasted. “An expert?!"</p><p>“Yup,” nods Jeonghan, popping the ‘p’ and resting his cheek in the palm of his hand as he peers at the youngest lazily. “Why do you look so surprised?"</p><p>Chan swivels his head to look at Mingyu, who looks equally as shocked as him. Neither of them seem to have the courage to say anything, much less move. Licking his lips, Chan slowly turns his head and tunes into Jihoon and Soonyoung’s argument. </p><p>“Just relax, okay?!” argues Jihoon, looking simultaneously ticked and tired. “He didn’t see anything, and he didn’t touch anything!"</p><p>“You still backstabbed me,” grunts Soonyoung, crossing his arms. “You know how much I hate cheaters, and you know I hate liars just as much."</p><p>Rubbing a hand over his face, Jihoon lets out a defeated sigh. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” he mumbles, even going as far as to lean up and give the dancer a peck on the lips. “I’m sorry I cheated on you. You know I still love you, right? It’s just a game."</p><p>Soonyoung stares at him for moment, then exhales slowly, dropping his arms to wrap around Jihoon instead. “Okay, fine. Just because it’s a game, I forgive you. Just don’t do it again, okay?"</p><p>Chan and Mingyu look at each other in confusion, heads full of questions and absolutely no answers, because <em>what the fuck is going on.</em></p><p>”If you guys are done making up now,” muses Jeonghan beside Chan, “maybe this means we can play another round of Uno tonight, hmm? What do you think, Soonyoung?"</p><p>
  <em>What.</em>
</p><p>“So long as you don’t encourage Jihoonie to cheat again,” mumbles Soonyoung with a pout. “Wonwoo and Cheol-hyung both had +4 cards so it stacked, then you literally showed Jihoonie your +4 card because you somehow knew he had one too, hyung! And I was right next to him so I couldn’t do anything about it. That’s unfair! I had to pick up 16 cards!"</p><p>Jihoon snorts, reaching up to squish Soonyoung’s cheeks between his palms. “Bubba, you could’ve used a reverse, you know?"</p><p>“I didn’t know we were playing the old-fashioned way!” complains Soonyoung, still pouting. “I just thought it stacked up. Otherwise I would’ve stacked my +2 cards for Shua-hyung."</p><p>Chan and Mingyu look at each other in disbelief, both unsure whether to blow a fuse or be relieved that they were talking about nothing serious. They’d been worried sick...over an Uno match.</p><p>A fucking <em>Uno </em>match.</p><p>Chan just wants to hit all of them upside the heads for making him worry.</p><p>“Wait,” he cuts in. “You guys...you were talking about <em>Uno?"</em></p><p>Soonyoung nods, seemingly oblivious to the look on the youngest dancer’s face. “What else would we be talking about?” he questions.</p><p>“Yeah, Channie,” drawls Jeonghan, turning his head slightly to peer slyly at him. He definitely knows what he’s doing. “What <em>else </em>would we be talking about?"</p><p>Chan swallows down a few regretful words he wants to speak, but because he’s a respectful dongsaeng, he smiles back, tight-lipped. “Nothing, hyung."</p><p>Jihoon shrugs. “Anyway, Soonyoung and I will get going now. Comeback is in a few months’ time so we can’t afford to slack off."</p><p>“Make sure you both take care of yourselves,” Mingyu chimes in. “I swear, if I get a call from manager Jeon that you both have been stuck in your studios for god knows how long, I’ll put you <em>both </em>on bed rest."</p><p>Soonyoung grins. “Thanks, Mingoo,” he croons, then proceeds to tug on Jihoon’s shoulder. “Come on. We need all the time we can get. I’m really feeling something powerful..."</p><p>And everything goes back to normal as Soonyoung and Jihoon walk out the door hand-in-hand, ideas bouncing off each other as per usual when their inspiration hits. It was like the Uno match never happened in the first place, but then again, Chan never thought the two would fight over an <em>Uno match</em>, of all things.</p><p>“I know what you were thinking, Channie,” chuckles Jeonghan when the door closes. “Don’t worry about those two. They fight like an old married couple but they love each other like high school sweethearts."</p><p>Chan rubs a hand over his face, peeved. “And thank god for that."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Petition for Seventeen to play Uno during GoSe, please.</p><p>No matter what I do, I always can’t bring myself to write angst (unless it’s a multi-chaptered fic ;;) Anyway, yeah, I don’t know who’s POV this is from, it just goes from Chan’s POV, to Jihoon’s, then to Jeonghan’s, and it’s just all over the place.</p><p>This was supposed to be longer but I didn’t know how to keep dragging it out without being so obvious what the problem was &gt;&lt; I really like drabbles like these because it ends up being the complete opposite of what you think, and hopefully I managed to fool some of you just a little ;; </p><p>Anyway, I’ve not much to say so I’ll keep this short and sweet :) IYDMP this Sunday~! If you want spoilers/sneak peeks on any of my future fics, you can interact with me below~</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. “I could have killed you."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #5: “I could have killed you."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was the zombie apocalypse AU that was supposed to be published  w e e k s  ago, but I hit a writer’s block with it and gave up, but now here it is :D</p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re thinking of him, aren’t you?"</p><p>Soonyoung takes his eyes away from Junhui and Minghao, feeling simultaneously melancholic and bitter at the sight of the couple curled up against each other. It’s dark out, the breeze brushing past them through the shattered windows, and he tries not to notice when Minghao wraps his arms around his boyfriend warmly. Oh, how envious Soonyoung is of them both.</p><p>They’ve traveled a good distance from their last destination miles away, not stopping until the night fell upon them. All of them unanimously agreed to tuck in at an abandoned apartment around the block, all needing energy for the next morning. After making sure that the building was free of zombies, they called the apartment home just for the night.</p><p>Soonyoung glances at Chan, who’d asked him the question. Then he turns his gaze towards the stars instead, sighing wistfully. He can feel Chan’s stare burning holes in the side of his face, the youngest waiting patiently for his answer.</p><p>“...Is it that obvious?” he scoffs, feeling a little pathetic.</p><p><em>Yes,</em> is what he would’ve loved to say. <em>I miss him. I’m always thinking of him.</em></p><p>Chan’s silence is loud enough to answer his question.</p><p>“I’m happy for them,” Soonyoung continues, jerking his head back towards their other two friends. “I...I really am. We’ve been through so much shit and — and I’m glad that they can find comfort in each other.” His eyes catch sight of a falling star and he follows it with his gaze. “I just wish...he was here with us. There’s not a day I live without thinking of him. Channie, I — I wanna know if he made it. I don’t even know if he’s still alive."</p><p>He returns his gaze to Chan, eyes teary and bottom lip quivering. His heart aches in his chest, hands clenching tight on the windowsill he’s been gripping unconsciously.</p><p>“He was my home, Channie," he whispers, voice breaking. “I wanna go back to my home."</p><p>Chan’s arms wrap around him comfortingly. He isn’t the warmth Soonyoung is familiar with but he accepts the affection gratefully, nuzzling his face in the crook of the younger man’s neck and trying to quell his shaky inhales. He hates it when he gets emotional.</p><p>“You’ll go back home,” Chan soothes. “Jihoonie-hyung is a fighter."</p><p>Soonyoung closes his eyes, takes a deep breath in, and wraps his arms around Chan’s waist.</p><p>“Yeah, he is."</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Soonyoung sighs as he runs his fingers over the selection of beat up board game boxes. There’s a taste of nostalgia through his fingertips as he picks up a Twister box and stares at the cover wistfully. He could easily just take it, considering he won’t have to pay a penny for anything, but he knows he shouldn’t. They only have so much room in their bags, and they can’t waste any precious space that isn’t necessary equipment.</p><p>Putting the box down, he checks out the little toy store some more, eyes scanning all the knick knacks and stuffed animals scattered on the shelves. He goes over and picks up a small stuffed mochi, smiling discreetly to himself as he squishes the cheeks between his hands. Cute.</p><p>“Anything?” Junhui calls from the staff room.</p><p>Smile faltering, Soonyoung reluctantly puts the stuffed mochi back on the shelf and pats it, savoring the pillowy texture one more time.</p><p>“No,” he calls back, eyes flitting to the mochi. “Nothing useful anyway."</p><p>From behind the register, Chan speaks up, “I think I found a smoke bomb — "</p><p>A gasp from Minghao cuts him off abruptly, startling all of them. Just as Soonyoung is about to ask him what’s wrong, the Chinese man hisses a stern, “Quick! Get down!"</p><p>Soonyoung doesn’t waste a second to duck behind two shelves, no stranger to the order at this point. They’ve encountered situations like this numerous times, but even so, it still doesn’t make him any less nervous than when he first heard it. Someone is probably roaming the same area as them right now for Minghao to throw out an order.</p><p>Slowly, quietly, he takes out his double pistols and cocks them both, crouching down low and peering around the corner. The sound of glass breaking under shoes has him flinching back, heart beating wildly in his chest. There’s definitely more than one person from what he can hear.</p><p>As the voices gradually begin to get louder and louder the close they get, Minghao whispers loud enough for all of them to hear.</p><p>“Not military,” he says in a hushed voice, already reaching for his dagger. “Best not to let our guards down. They might turn on us like the last group did."</p><p>Soonyoung turns his head and makes eye contact with Chan, pursing his lips with worry.</p><p>The last time they tried to make amends with survivors, they were backstabbed instantaneously while raiding a grocery store. Although Junhui, Soonyoung, and Minghao got out with minimal injuries, Chan had been the one who’d taken the major blow to his thigh. Fortunately his wound is bandaged up and in the process of healing, but Soonyoung can still feel the dread in his heart. </p><p>Chan gives him a reassuring look, already reaching for his crowbar in preparation, and Soonyoung tries not to worry too much.</p><p>Junhui silently creeps up from the staff room behind the register with Chan, just as the voices become clear.</p><p>“What the hell is this? A toy store?” a gruff voice grumbles. “Didn’t you tell us we were on the way to the mall? What the hell are we doing here?"</p><p>“I know, I’m sorry, hyung,” another voice whines sheepishly. “Just...can’t we live a little? A little fun won’t hurt every once in a while. Besides, we’ve been traveling for supplies nonstop since yesterday morning. We gotta rest up and save our energy in case the baddies come."</p><p><em>”Especially </em>when the baddies come,” exaggerates another voice.</p><p>There’s a snort, and the glass shattered by the front door crackles as the intruders begin to make their way inside. “This place would’ve been cute."</p><p><em>How many of them are there?</em> Soonyoung thinks to himself, quietly moving to the side of the shelf when he hears footsteps coming in his direction. He sees Minghao skillfully using his martial arts techniques to dive behind a clothed table.</p><p>From where Soonyoung is squatting, he can’t see the faces of the new survivors. They’re on his side of the toy store, backs turned to him as they pick up and examine the knick knacks and stuffed animals on the shelves. He holds his breath when one guy comes <em>particularly </em>close to him, and he shifts silently to the other side of the shelf, fingers quivering where they hold his pistols. He never likes dealing with survivors.</p><p>“Hey, isn’t this that Twister game you have back in America?” </p><p>There’s a hum. “Looks like it. Think we should bring it back? I bet the puppy’s dying for some entertainment back in the camp."</p><p>A chuckle. “Why do you refer to him as puppy?"</p><p>“Because he is one! Just...a really tall, giant puppy."</p><p>Soonyoung purses his lips, catching Minghao’s eye. From the other side of the toy store, the Chinese man is jerking his head towards the open door, a signal that they should leave while they have the chance. It’s risky, especially with how small the store is, but with all the shelves and racks, it should be enough to cover up their escape.</p><p>Just when he’s about to relay the message to Junhui and Chan, there’s a sudden loud explosion, then the whole store begins to fog up with smoke, making it increasingly difficult for Soonyoung to see anything. He coughs a little, silently cursing Chan in his head for throwing the smoke bomb, but he quickly gets up when he hears curses from the opposing group.</p><p>“Someone’s here!” a voice yells frantically. “Han? Josh?” A cough. “Shit, where the fuck are you, you cowards?! Show yourselves!"</p><p>“Run!” Soonyoung hears Junhui exclaim.</p><p>Soonyoung doesn’t even know <em>where </em>to run at this point. The smoke had clouded up to the point where he can’t see anything unless it’s a foot in front of him, and even then, it’s still difficult to see. He waves his pistol in front of his eyes to ward away the smoke, but it’s a useless attempt.</p><p>“Hyung, this way! Follow my voice!” comes Minghao’s voice to his left.</p><p>Coughing slightly, Soonyoung follows his voice, nearly stumbling into another shelf on his way. The air begins to get a little more breathable the closer he gets, but before he can take another step closer to freedom, a hand yanks him by the back of his collar and tugs <em>hard.</em></p><p>”Shit — “ he curses out loud, grunting when he’s shoved back into the shelves. </p><p>It doesn’t take long for a foot to shove him down against the floor soon after, and he coughs a little at the impact, hands releasing his pistols as they clatter to the ground mournfully. He finds himself taking in stilted breaths when the foot presses down on his chest insistently.</p><p>Coming back to his senses, realizing he’s a few moments away from being murdered, Soonyoung uses his free hands and grabs the ankle, eliciting a surprised noise from the perpetrator. Yanking it towards him, he hisses when he feels the man’s head lands on his shin but he ignores the throbbing pain in favor of getting his pistols again.</p><p>“Hyung!” Chan’s voice cries from the other side of the toy store, followed by a grunt.</p><p>“Chan?” Soonyoung calls back frantically. “Chan, where are you? I swear to god, you fuckers, if you fucking hurt him — Jun? Hao? Where are you?"</p><p>“Dealing with something,” grunts Minghao’s voice, followed by a yelp and a cry of pain.</p><p>Junhui’s voice comes after, sounding strained. “Helping."</p><p>About to answer back, Soonyoung is suddenly pulled back down to the ground by his ankles, and he groans in pain when his chest makes contact with the hard tiled floors below him. Making an attempt to scramble away, he lets out a cry when a sharp piercing sensation embeds itself on his left shoulder. Collapsing back on the floor, he feels the perpetrator straddle his lower back, then the loud sound of a revolver cocking rings just above his right ear.</p><p>“Don’t fight back,” a voice snarls into his ear. “I’ll blow your head off if you move. Don’t make this any fucking harder than it should be."</p><p>Soonyoung takes a moment to reply, breathing heavily when he feels the warmth of his blood seep through the fabric of his coat. He presses his forehead against the cool tiles below him, trying to find some sort of relief, anything to distract him from the burning sensation in his shoulder.</p><p>“Look,” he says, voice raspy as he tries to hide the pain he’s feeling. “We’re just trying to survive like you lot, okay? Get your fucking gun off me, asshole."</p><p>The revolver presses harder against his temple instead. “Shut the fuck up,” the guy seethes. “Until this smoke clears, I won’t let up ‘till I get a good look at you lot. We could’ve made amends, y’know? We have a camp back in Seoul filled with likeminded people, but you and your cronies decided to take it the hard way."</p><p>Soonyoung winces, aching to take the dagger out from his shoulder. “You can’t trust anyone,” he spits angrily. “You’d die trying."</p><p>“Shut the fuck up,” the man barks again. “I’ll really blow your head off if you keep talking, you piece of shit."</p><p>Torn between wanting to taunt the man and not wanting to risk his life, Soonyoung opts to sigh in defeat and wait for the smoke to dissipate. It takes a long while, but by the time they can just <em>barely </em>see each other through the smoke, Soonyoung feels his heart drop when he sees Chan in a chokehold. From his angle, he can’t see who’s behind Chan and he can’t crane his head up much to look.</p><p>Shifting his eyes slightly, he sees Junhui being held at gunpoint by another man, their backs facing Soonyoung. Minghao is pressed up against the floor with a foot on his chest, eyes squeezed shut and a gun pointed to him as well.</p><p>They all look relatively uninjured but it doesn’t stop the fear from rising in Soonyoung.</p><p>“Let them go!” he exclaims, voice breaking from the sudden adrenaline in his veins. “Please...don’t kill them. I — whatever you wanna do to them, do to me instead. Please, just don’t — don’t hurt them."</p><p>The man sitting on his back snorts. “You’re willing to take all the pain, huh?” he taunts, and Soonyoung feels tears spring in his eyes when the dagger in his shoulder slides in just a tad bit deeper. “Pathetic. You’ll never survive if we leave you alone, y’know? You’ll just die before you see the sunset."</p><p>The smoke dissipates drastically when a large gust of wind breezes by, then there’s a sharp gasp.</p><p>“...Seungkwan-ah...?” comes Minghao’s whisper, and Soonyoung weakly turns his head to the side to see Minghao staring up at the man — <em>Seungkwan </em>— who’s equally staring back at him with wide eyes.</p><p>“Minghao-hyung?!” Seokmin shrieks, and everything begins to unravel from there.</p><p>Seungkwan and Seokmin are quick to kneel down and help Minghao sit up properly, then the both of them promptly attack the Chinese man with endless amounts of hugs. Seokmin is bawling his eyes out, and Seungkwan is no better than him.</p><p>Soonyoung’s head lolls back as he watches Chan being released from the chokehold — <em>Jeonghan’s </em>chokehold — almost instantaneously. A sob erupts from the older man as he grabs Chan’s shoulders fiercely and spins him around until they’re facing each other. Jeonghan’s face contorts drastically, then he’s tugging Chan to him and burying his face in his neck.</p><p>The guy holding Junhui at gunpoint turns out to be Joshua, and the both of them end up crying on each other’s shoulders. Apologies rapidly spill out of Joshua’s lips like a waterfall, and Junhui is seemingly blabbering only nonsense, taken by emotion.</p><p>Soonyoung can only vaguely register the man on his back tensing up with disbelief. A single name goes through his head before his vision begins to go in and out of focus as the pain begins to sear his shoulder. Before he knows it, the man gets off his back abruptly, and he lets out a cry of pain, squeezing his eyes tight when he’s suddenly being jostled into a sitting position leaned against the shelf.</p><p>“Soonyoung...?” a voice whispers in front of him, on the verge of breaking.</p><p>Breathing hard, head lolling, Soonyoung opens his eyes and is greeted by the sight of Jihoon’s face. His eyes are wide and teary, mouth quivering and fingers trembling where they rest on either side of Soonyoung’s biceps.</p><p>“...Jihoonie...?” Soonyoung breathes, tears springing into his eyes again. “Jihoonie...? You’re — you’re...alive...?"</p><p>“I’m alive,” Jihoon echoes, voice quivering. “I'm — Shit. Shit, shit, fucking hell — I — Soonyoung? Soonyoung. Don’t close your eyes. Soonyoung, <em>please. </em>Stay with me, baby, stay with me. You’re okay. You’re okay. Shit. What have I done?"</p><p>Soonyoung watches with hooded eyes as Jihoon practically rips open his backpack and pulls out a roll of bandages and a bottle of alcohol. He unravels it quickly, hands still trembling as he rips off a long strip frantically with his teeth. He turns back to Soonyoung, dropping the roll carelessly back into his backpack.</p><p>“This is gonna sting,” he warns, then abruptly grabs the handle of the dagger and slides it out of Soonyoung’s shoulder.</p><p>Soonyoung cries out, back arching as he tries to take in lungfuls of breaths. He squeezes his eyes shut again, head lolling back onto the shelf as he pants. He can feel the blood gush out through his coat.</p><p>“Soonyoung. <em>Soonyoung</em>,” Jihoon’s voice breaks. “Soonyoung, open your eyes, please. <em>Please. </em>I — I just got you back, I can’t — I can’t lose you again. <em>Please. </em>Open your eyes."</p><p>With all his strength, Soonyoung opens his eyes a slit, only to squeeze them shut again with a cry when alcohol splashes ruthlessly against his open wound. He sobs as his injury flares drastically, a burning, almost unbearable stinging traveling throughout his shoulder and downwards. He only quiets down when he hears Jihoon shush him gently as he works on wrapping the bandage around his shoulder.</p><p>He doesn’t even notice his head lolling forward until Jihoon cradles his face with trembling hands.</p><p>“Soonyoung, open your eyes, damn it,” he curses, eyes welling with tears. </p><p>“They’re open,” Soonyoung breathes. “They’re open, don’t worry.” He knows damn well he’s lying to himself. “Keep talking to me. Distract me. I don’t care."</p><p>Suddenly, there’s a searing sensation on his lips. Contrary to the wound on his shoulder, it isn’t painful. It’s intense, hot, fierce, messy, and he tries to match Jihoon’s energy, pouring three years’ worth of missing love into the kiss. He knows he’s slowly losing the battle, but he needs to find a way to reassure Jihoon.</p><p>Feeling his breath running out, he mournfully pulls away from Jihoon and leans their foreheads together instead, eyes still closed. He tries not to focus on the fact that he can still feel blood spreading on his shoulder, instead trying to redirect his energy to focus on the fact that Jihoon is <em>alive.</em></p><p>“Take care of them,” Soonyoung slurs, feeling a little sluggish. “Look after them for me, okay?"</p><p>“Don’t you <em> dare </em> fucking say that,” Jihoon says fiercely, slapping Soonyoung’s cheeks lightly. “Kwon Soonyoung, wake up. Don’t leave me — “ his voice cracks. “ <em> Please. </em>Don’t leave me again. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I — Jeonghan-ah! Hyung, please, we need to go back to the camp..."</p><p>“Wonwoo is good with first aid...know what...do...” Jeonghan’s voice fades from his ears. </p><p>“We need — hurry...camp is far from here...” Is that Seungkwan or Seokmin talking? Soonyoung can’t distinguish the voices anymore. </p><p>He vaguely remembers being hoisted up onto a back — Joshua’s, he thinks — and he remembers the little whine he let out when the movement jostled his shoulder more. Someone had been speaking to him, telling him everything was going to be okay and he would make it out alive — Jihoon, he thinks — and that they’d make sure nothing would happen to him on the way to the camp. He vaguely remembers something wet being pressed on his lips, then he let himself drift into the everlasting sleep that welcomed him with open arms.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>It’s hot.</p><p>That’s the first thing Soonyoung’s mind registers when he miraculously slips back into consciousness. He feels like he’s sweating, breaths stuffy amidst the humid air. His eyelids feel like they have ten pound weights on them, and there’s a terrible ache in his shoulder that he just wants to slap away as though it were a pesky mosquito. </p><p>
  <em> Am I dead? Is this really all there is in the afterlife?  </em>
</p><p>The sound of water splashing next to him snaps him out of his thoughts. It sounds as though someone is squeezing out water into a bowl. The next thing he knows, something cold — a cloth, he thinks — is being wiped across his face, getting rid of the heat and sweat instantly. The cloth moves down to his neck, then to his chest, and Soonyoung senses a moment’s hesitation before the coolness transfers carefully to his shoulders. He doesn’t remember being shirtless, but the pain flares up ever so slightly and he can’t help but wince.</p><p>Instantly, the person shushes him and presses a soothing kiss on his temple, and Soonyoung relaxes again, still unable to open his eyes and see Jihoon. He just wants to prove to himself that he isn’t dreaming and that this is all real, that Jihoon is alive and well and by his his side like he should’ve been from the start.</p><p>With much difficulty, Soonyoung opens his eyes just a slit, then opens them a little wider when he realizes that there is, in fact, no bright beaming light glaring down at him like he thought there would be. Then again though, they’re in the middle of an apocalypse, so he can’t really expect any electricity to be working.</p><p>The first thing he notices is his environment. He’s not in a hospital room like he’d foolishly expected, but he seems to be in a house of sorts. The walls are torn and the ceiling is creaking. There’s floorboards everywhere, covered horrendously with dirty rugs and fabrics. He seems to be resting on a couch, and when he looks up at the window beside him, it’s night time.</p><p><em>Damn, </em>he thinks turning his head slowly to look up at Jihoon, who’s focused on washing a rag in a bowl of water. He doesn’t seem to have aged a single day in the three years they haven’t seen each other, save for a couple of scars littered across his face. <em>How long have I been out?</em></p><p>He watches as Jihoon makes eye contact with him, and the younger man nearly drops the rag to the floor in surprise.</p><p>“Oh,” he breathes, his eyes widening. “You’re awake."</p><p>Soonyoung gives him a lopsided smile. “I’m awake,” he croaks, throat dry. He licks his lips. “Um...how long have I been out?"</p><p>“Two days,” Jihoon says quietly, reaching for something behind Soonyoung’s head. “Can you sit up?"</p><p>Gnawing on the inside of his cheek, bracing himself with his good arm, Soonyoung hoists himself up into a slanted sitting position with a grunt. Jihoon places his hand on the small of his back to support him, then comes round with an opened bottle of water and presses it against his lips.</p><p>“Drink,” he says softly, tilting the bottle up.</p><p>Soonyoung ends up drinking the whole bottle, parched, and he even feels a little short of breath by the time he’s finished drinking. </p><p>“How long have I been out?” he asks, licking his lips.</p><p>“Two days,” Jihoon answers, using the rag to wipe at Soonyoung’s neck. “You...you lost a lot of blood. I thought — I thought...” He seems to struggle with his words for a moment. “But then Wonwoo said you were gonna be okay and you just need a few days worth of rest. You’ll have to be bedridden for a few days."</p><p>“Bedridden? Are you kidding me?” Soonyoung frowns, making a move to sit up again. “I get that I’m injured, but I don’t think I should be bedridden — "</p><p>“Soonyoung, <em>please,” </em>Jihoon begs, pushing him back down. “Just <em>rest</em>, okay? You — You lost too much blood and you need to recover."</p><p>“I’m not a kid, Jihoon — "</p><p>“I know you’re not, but — "</p><p>“I can walk fine, okay? We’re in the middle of a fucking apocalypse and you expect me to glue myself to this couch — "</p><p>“Well, I’m sorry for being worried when I was the one who fucking stabbed you, okay?!” Jihoon snaps. “I’m sorry for caring so much about making sure you’re fucking alive and healthy so I won’t have to treat you like a kid. I’m sorry for missing you for three damn years, not knowing when I was gonna see you again, or even know if you were fucking <em>alive </em>— “ His voice grows tight, his fingers clenching tight around the wet rag he’s holding, and his eyes well with tears. “If you expect me to just sit here and watch you walk around with a fucking unhealed wound on your shoulder, you are sorely mistaken."</p><p>He’s breathing hard by the end of his rant, nose red and dimples peeking out from where his lips are pursed. All of a sudden, not only does the wound on his shoulder begin to weigh heavily on Soonyoung’s shoulder, but so does his guilt. </p><p>“Do it for me,” Jihoon whispers, his face crumpling as the tears begin rolling down his face. “I — I could’ve <em>killed </em>you, Soonyoung. Do you know — you know how hard it was to — <em>to </em>— “ His voice breaks midway, unable to finish his sentence.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Soonyoung blurts, heart aching as he watches Jihoon wipe furiously at his tears. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry — "</p><p>“Why are you the one apologizing?” Jihoon cries, sniffling.</p><p>Soonyoung pauses. “I don’t know...you were the one who stabbed me but last I remember, you’re horrible at apologizing — ow, hey!"</p><p>Jihoon whacks his thigh in retaliation, scoffing. “Gee, <em>thanks. </em>Not like I don’t know that."</p><p>Amused, Soonyoung laughs a little, and they fall into quietness again. The only sound that can be heard is Jihoon’s occasional sniffles and the sound of him squeezing the water out of the rag.</p><p>“Jihoonie?” A hum. “I missed you."</p><p>Jihoon doesn’t say anything for a moment, rubbing the wet rag against Soonyoung’s face and avoiding his eyes. Soonyoung lets him be, knows that there’s probably a thousand words Jihoon wants to say in this moment, words that would usually either be poetic or downright blunt.</p><p>“I’m not a very religious person,” Jihoon mumbles, wiping down Soonyoung’s arm and raising his eyes to make eye contact with him, “but ever since this apocalypse started, I’ve been praying for something good to happen, so I’ll start thanking whatever heavenly deity is up there for bringing you back to me...for bringing you back <em>home."</em></p><p>Soonyoung’s throat tightens at that, and he can feel the familiar heat behind his eyes. For the sake of not wanting to ugly cry again, he holds it in the best he can and latches onto Jihoon’s hand tightly, giving him a wobbly smile.</p><p>“Yes,” he whispers, voice fragile. “I’m back home, my Jihoonie."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t believe it’s been a month since I last updated this ;; I’ve been busy with schoolwork and chapter 7 of IYDMP (which, by the way, not much progress still). Since I hit a writer’s block with this one previously, I have another prompt that’s already written but needs to be revived, so I might be updating this one again soon :]</p><p>I’m so lame honestly, I started crying towards the ending when Jihoon referenced the home thing ;; This is why I can’t do angst without a happy ending &gt;&lt; This was supposed to have a different ending but the original ending is why I hit a writer’s block, so I removed that part. This was supposed to be longer, but oh well ;;</p><p>IYDMP this Sunday, then Seventeen comeback on Monday &gt;&lt; Ahhh, I’ve been collecting votes so I feel proud of myself. I really hope we focus more on digitals than physicals though ;; I’m ready to stream the hell out of the music video. The highlight melody already sounds so good :,)</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. "What, You Wanna Eat it?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #6: “What, You Wanna Eat it?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a tribute to all of those who miss me writing omega Jihoon, so here’s a small little fluff piece for you :&lt;&lt;</p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Inhale. One, two, three, four. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Hold. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Exhale. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. </em>
</p><p>Jihoon blinks, once, twice.</p><p>Yeah, he’s definitely not dreaming. The two pink lines are still there, perhaps mocking him or maybe even reassuring him there’s nothing to worry about. He’s not quite sure at this point. Everything is starting to blur together.</p><p>He closes his eyes and takes in two, deep and steady breaths, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He tries not to focus on the rapid racing of his heart, or the trembling of his fingers as he weakly holds the pregnancy stick in his hand. He tries not to think of Soonyoung either; he can feel the pounding of his heart upon the thought of his alpha, but this time, it’s <em> not </em>in a good way.</p><p><em> Oh dear, </em> he thinks to himself, feeling a little breathless. He opens his eyes and stares at the lines. Yeah, it’s still there. <em> Oh dear. </em></p><p>Leaning forward, Jihoon grabs his phone from the coffee table. He fumbles with it for a moment and calls the first contact his finger touches, then puts the phone on speaker and sets it back down on the coffee table. He doesn’t think he has the strength to lift anything else.</p><p>The line goes through once, twice, three times, before a voice picks up, sounding out of breath.</p><p>
  <em> ”Hello?" </em>
</p><p>Jihoon pauses, taking a peek at the caller ID. “Minghao?"</p><p><em> ”Hyung?” </em> There’s a huff of exhaustion. <em> “Was this a butt dial?" </em></p><p>”I...no,” Jihoon says slowly, bringing his legs underneath him and biting on his thumb. “Um, is Soonyoung there with you?"</p><p><em> ”Yeah. We’re going over some routines,” </em> answers Minghao. <em> ”Did you want to talk to him?" </em></p><p>”No!” Jihoon blurts. “Um, no. Actually, I — Can I talk to you privately?"</p><p>Minghao falls quiet on the other line, and Jihoon can almost <em> hear </em> him thinking. <em> ”Okay. Hold on for a bit." </em></p><p>Jihoon hears voices in the background, some yelling, and some music — all typical for the people in charge of the performance aspect. It all becomes muffled in a matter of seconds, so he assumes Minghao must’ve made his way out of the practice room.</p><p>
  <em> ”Okay, what’s up?" </em>
</p><p>Suddenly, Jihoon doesn’t really know how to word what he wants to say. Instead, he blurts, “How do you tell someone that there may or may not be a potential four-limbed hopefully human being inside you and you had to find out there was said potential human being inside you by peeing on a stick?"</p><p>A pause.</p><p>It only takes Jihoon half a second to regret what he’s said. Perhaps he could’ve worded that a little more...bluntly, maybe something along the lines of <em> I’m pregnant and I don’t know how to tell Soonyoung. </em>Yes, perhaps that would’ve been more obvious. </p><p>
  <em> ”What?" </em>
</p><p>Sighing, Jihoon starts again, “How do you tell someone that there may or may not be — "</p><p>
  <em> ”You’re pregnant?" </em>
</p><p>“Yes."</p><p>Another pause.</p><p>
  <em> ”How long?" </em>
</p><p>Jihoon leans back on the couch and sighs. “I just found out a few minutes ago,” he says. “I’ve been feeling a little queasy for the past two weeks now. I woke up before 10 a.m. twice this week just to throw up before I’ve had any breakfast, and my first thought was to go to the nearest pharmacy and grab a pregnancy test."</p><p>Minghao hums on the other line. <em> ”I see,” </em> he says thoughtfully. <em> "When are you gonna tell Soonyoungie-hyung?” </em></p><p>“I don’t know.” Jihoon’s voice turns quiet, soft, and unsure. “I don’t even know <em> how </em>I’ll tell him."</p><p><em> ”And you called me because...?” </em> Minghao chuckles. <em> ”Wouldn’t this be something you confide Jeonghannie-hyung in? Why did you call me in the first place?" </em></p><p>Jihoon huffs. “Don’t get too cocky, Hao. You just so happened to be the first person I contacted randomly.” Then, after a moment of silence and Minghao’s knowing hum, he sighs and gives in, “Okay, fine. I wanted to tell someone who won’t tease me for being a scaredy cat. You’re good at being blunt, and Jeonghannie-hyung likes to stretch things out a bit, you know?"</p><p>
  <em> ”I know." </em>
</p><p>“Just — “ Jihoon sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “What do you think Soonyoung’s reaction would be if I told him?"  </p><p>
  <em> ”You want me to be honest, right?" </em>
</p><p>”Brutally."</p><p><em> ”Alright. Here’s what I think,” </em> Minghao begins. <em> ”Initially, he might not believe it at first. He’ll be the type to say things like ‘what is this?’ or ‘are you serious?’ and honestly, you might get hurt by his reaction, but just hold out for a bit. Once the realization hits him, he’ll be ugly sobbing in your arms and telling the whole world he’s going to be a father." </em></p><p>Jihoon pinches the bridge of his nose again. “That doesn’t sound realistic at all."</p><p><em> ”Then you tell me,” </em> Minghao scoffs. <em> ”What to you sounds realistic?" </em></p><p>Jihoon mulls over the thought for a moment, then offers, “He’ll be ugly sobbing because we still have careers to take care of, and I would be the one ruining his dreams if I told him I’m pregnant. We...We have no time to look after a baby.” </p><p>His voice grows smaller when he realizes what he’s saying, and the thought pains him a little. Unconsciously, he brushes his hands across his stomach and feels a pang in his heart at the thought of <em> no </em>baby inside him. Perhaps it’s just his omega instincts messing with him, but just thinking about what would happen if the pregnancy test proved to be false...he doesn’t like the sound of it.</p><p><em> “Realistic, huh?” </em> comes Minghao’s dry voice.</p><p>Jihoon scowls at his phone. “More realistic than what you just said."</p><p><em> ”Okay.” </em> He hears Minghao sigh. <em> ”Can I tell you something?" </em></p><p>”What is it?"</p><p><em> ”Back before you both announced you guys mated,” </em> Minghao starts, <em> ”Soonyoung already told us beforehand, and by us, I mean me, Channie, and Junnie. He told us long before you both told the whole group." </em></p><p>Jihoon doesn’t know how to feel about that. “Um. Okay?"</p><p><em> “No, listen to me first. Don’t talk,” </em> Minghao says sternly. <em> ”You want me to be brutally honest, then I’ll give you brutal honesty. When he told us you’ve finally bonded, you should’ve seen his face, hyung. He was, like — you know that saying ‘you have stars in your eyes’ or whatever? If I could apply that phrase to someone, it would be Soonyoung-hyung. He looked over the fucking moon, hyung. He was so happy about it. He even gave us a half hour break that day! Do you know how rare that is?!" </em></p><p>”Hao, I still don’t know — "</p><p><em> ”Shut up </em> ,” comes Minghao’s breezy reply. <em> ”Anyway, back to what I was saying — he gave us a half hour break. You know what he was doing during that half hour break? He was ranting to us about you, about your future. He looked so emotional just talking about it, even I wanted to tear up a little. I don’t cry, hyung, you know that." </em></p><p>Jihoon thinks he can see where this is going.</p><p><em> ”Junnie asked Soonyoungie-hyung if it was everything he could’ve ever dreamed of,” </em> Minghao continues. <em> ”You know what his answer was? He told us that it wasn’t. Why? He told us he wants to start the next chapter of your lives together. He spoke about fucking marriage, hyung. As in, if you like it then put a ring on it — I don’t know, some Beyonce shit like that, but not the point." </em></p><p>Jihoon feels his heart hammer in his chest, but this time it’s for an entirely different reason altogether.</p><p><em> ”He told us he imagined a spring wedding with you, because it’s not too hot or too cold. He told us he wanted a private wedding, that he’d only invite friends and family, and unless you wanted something entirely different, then he’s completely fine with that too, because it’s ‘for his Jihoonie,’ or that’s what he likes to say anyway,” </em>Minghao scoffs.</p><p>Jihoon’s throat locks tight with emotion.</p><p>
  <em> “For fuck’s sake, hyung — he told us he wants to grow old and wrinkly with you, until you’re both sitting on your front porch in rocking chairs and looking at cars passing by. Oh my god, you both are such disgusting saps, I get shivers just thinking about you two." </em>
</p><p>“And kids?” Jihoon asks, ignoring the last statement pointedly. “Did he...say anything about kids...?"</p><p>Minghao’s sigh is exasperated but fond. <em> ”He wants a baby girl, but if it’s a baby boy that comes out of your ass, then he’s fine with that too. He just wants a mini version of you or him. You should’ve seen him when he talked about kids, hyung. I can guarantee that even you’d shed a tear." </em></p><p>Jihoon licks his lips, convincing himself that the heat behind his eyes is just a result of him staring at the TV screen for too long. He inhales deeply, pressing down gently against his stomach.</p><p><em>”He won’t be ugly sobbing because</em> <em>he’ll realize he’s carrying another burden on his shoulders, hyung,” </em>Minghao says, voice a lot softer. <em>“He’ll be ugly sobbing because he’s finally living his dream.”</em></p><p>Jihoon sniffles and, oh god, he’s crying. Perhaps it’s still too early, but he’ll blame it on the pregnancy hormones for now.</p><p>
  <em> “He loves you so much, hyung. Why are you doubting that?”  </em>
</p><p>“I don’t know,” Jihoon says honestly. “It’s — It’s such a big step in our relationship, Hao, and we’re not even done with our careers. How am I supposed to break it to him?”</p><p>He can almost hear Minghao smirking on the other side. <em> “Leave that to me, hyung.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Jihoon groans when he feels soft wet kisses being peppered against his face, and he peeks his eye open just a slit to glare at his alpha. </p><p>“What do you want?” he hisses, throwing the covers over his head to deflect the sunlight.</p><p>Soonyoung gently pulls the covers back down and continues his actions of showering Jihoon’s face with kisses. He doesn’t stop despite Jihoon’s grumpy attitude, and he doesn’t stop even when the omega lets out grunts of annoyance and attempts to bat his face away with weak slaps. He keeps pressing kisses against Jihoon’s cheek and temple, unbothered by his grumpy attitude. </p><p>“Soons,” he groans, feeling a smile curl on his lips when he feels his alpha nuzzle his nose against his cheek. “Baby. Stop it.”</p><p>“Good morning, baby,” Soonyoung murmurs in his ear, pressing a kiss on his lobe. “Come cuddle with me?”</p><p>Jihoon relents and rolls over until he successfully manages to fit himself right under Soonyoung’s chin, digging his nose in the crook of his neck and sighing contently. He can feel Soonyoung’s arms wrap around him eagerly, a pleased rumble vibrating against Jihoon’s own.</p><p>Soonyoung hums softly, stroking the back of Jihoon’s dyed hair slowly. “My baby’s in a good mood today,” he mumbles, unable to help himself when he presses a gentle kiss on Jihoon’s forehead. “Something up?”</p><p>“What? I can’t be in a good mood?”</p><p>Soonyoung laughs, intertwining their legs together. “I’m not complaining. I’m just wondering. “</p><p>“Hmm.”</p><p>“Can I have a kiss?”</p><p>“Don’t push your luck, Kwon. Go and brush your teeth first then you can come back and ask.”</p><p>Soonyoung chuckles. “You’re joking, right?”</p><p>Jihoon lets out a sigh and tilts his head back, puckering his lips. “Of course, I am. Come here.”</p><p>With a grin, Soonyoung tilts his head downwards and presses their lips together, long and slow and lazy and just how Jihoon likes it. He may not seem like it, but he loves domestic, soft kisses with Soonyoung, kisses where he can just lay down without the worry of turning his head too much to the right, or accidentally clacking teeth with Soonyoung. He can just peck and kiss and smooch all he wants.</p><p>Well, not <em> all </em> he wants.</p><p>Soonyoung pulls away, pausing their languid kissing. “You smell different,” he says, shifting his position to dig his nose into Jihoon’s neck. “Sweeter. Milkier, if that makes sense. Did you use a new shampoo last night?”</p><p><em> Shit, </em> Jihoon thinks, feeling a swell of nervousness. <em> Shit, what do I say? </em></p><p>“Uh,” he mumbles, finger twitching when Soonyoung takes another whiff of his scent. “No.”</p><p>“When’s your next heat?”</p><p>Jihoon tries to recall. “Not until another month,” he says, tongue feeling thick in his mouth. “I just had a heat three weeks ago.” He tries to change the subject quickly yet discreetly, bracing himself on his elbow to raise his torso up. “Come on. Go take a shower and I’ll cook breakfast. What do you want?”</p><p>Soonyoung’s eyebrow shoots up to his hairline. “Did I wake up in an alternate universe or something?” he muses, even pinching his arm in disbelief. “You? Lee Jihoon? Offering to cook breakfast?”</p><p>Jihoon slaps his chest lightly. “Stop it. It’s only once in a blue moon. Take advantage of it.”</p><p>Soonyoung hums. “Well, in that case…” he trails off, looking as though he’s <em> actually </em>thinking. “I want pancakes, and waffles, and bacon, and sunny side up eggs, please. Oh, maybe even — ”</p><p>“Soons, I’m not a chef.”</p><p>Soonyoung laughs, nuzzling his face in Jihoon’s hair and pressing another kiss on him. “I know, baby, I’m teasing. Bacon and eggs will do just fine.”</p><p>“M’kay.”</p><p>“You’re not gonna shower with me?”</p><p>Jihoon rolls his eyes and tries to hide an amused smile. “Soons, you know what happens when we shower together.”</p><p>Soonyoung pouts, hand traveling down to Jihoon’s hip suggestively. “We’ll be quick.”</p><p>Laughing, Jihoon bats Soonyoung’s hand away and sits up, standing before Soonyoung has a chance to pull him back down. “Go take a shower,” he says without batting an eye. “If I finish cooking before you’re done, I’m eating all the bacon.”</p><p>“Okay, hey now, isn’t that just a little — ”</p><p>Jihoon closes the door before Soonyoung can finish his sentence.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Jihoon is just beginning to put the bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel when Soonyoung comes running down. His sweatpants hang low on his lips, hair still dripping with water and a towel and shirt thrown over his shoulders messily. The water in his hair flies everywhere as he barrels into the kitchen with an excited cry of, “Bacon!” leaving his lips.</p><p>“Dry your hair first at least!” Jihoon squawks, putting the tongs down and reaching for the towel around Soonyoung’s shoulders to dry the wet strands of hair. “You’re getting water everywhere.”</p><p>Soonyonug reaches out for a piece of bacon, unperturbed by Jihoon’s reprimand. He hisses as the heat makes contact with his tongue, <em> hashasfash </em>’ing his way through the burn and swallowing the bacon down hungrily. Jihoon snorts, waving Soonyoung away with the tongs to prevent him from eating any more bacon.</p><p>“Go set the table while I finish,” he says, making a pointed gesture towards their dining table. “You’ll get full before we can even eat breakfast together.”</p><p>Soonyoung grins and leans down to smack a wet kiss on Jihoon’s cheek. “Never!” he proclaims, snatching another bacon strip from the plate and prancing out of Jihoon’s reach before the younger man can smack him.</p><p>Sighing, Jihoon waits until Soonyoung walks into the dining room with utensils and dishes in his hands. He eyes him discreetly from the corner of his eye, and as soon as Soonyoung puts the items down to set them up, he quickly opens the fridge and pulls out the pastry box Minghao had bought for him.</p><p>Opening it, he stares down at the lone bun in the middle of the box.</p><p>“Put a bun in the oven,” Minghao had suggested. “You know how buns rise in the oven, right? Well, the bun represents the baby growing up, and the oven represents the birthgiver. If you’re scared of telling Soonyoung straightforwardly, you can tell him this way."</p><p>Jihoon thought it was perfect then. He can be as cryptic as he wants without telling Soonyoung straight off the bat, and if Soonyoung somehow manages to figure it out all on his own, then Jihoon doesn’t need to do anything more.</p><p>Now though, as he stares at the lone bun in the box, he can’t help but feel nervous all over again. </p><p><em> I can do this, </em> he chants in his mind. <em> I can tell him. </em></p><p>Quickly, before Soonyoung can turn around and witness his mental breakdown, Jihoon grabs the bun and throws away the box, then opens the oven door and places the bun in the middle of the rack. He closes the door up again just as Soonyoung turns around to retrieve their breakfast. </p><p>“Done?” Soonyoung questions, taking the plate of bacon and eggs from the counter and eating another strip of bacon.</p><p>“Soonyoung, you ass, stop eating all the bacon!” Jihoon reprimands, heart still rapidly beating from what he’d just done. “Save some for me too.”</p><p>“Babe, you literally cooked the whole pack and I only ate <em> three.” </em></p><p>They bicker with each other as they sit at the dining table, and Jihoon can feel himself relaxing again at the calm atmosphere between them. It’s times like these where he doesn’t have to worry about a single thing in the world so long as Soonyoung is there with him to push through it. Soonyoung just has a natural way of making him forget about his worries.</p><p>Breakfast goes by <em> way </em>too quickly and before Jihoon knows it, Soonyoung is getting up to place their dishes in the sink. There’s that familiar sinking feeling in his stomach as he watches Soonyoung wash the dishes, and he has to take several deep breaths to calm himself down before Soonyoung can sense it.</p><p>“Babe,” he calls as he cleans the table. “When you’re done...can you check the oven for me?”</p><p>Soonyoung looks up and frowns. “The oven?” he repeats, looking back to stare at said oven, “Uh, sure. Are you baking something?” </p><p>Jihoon doesn’t have the courage to look at him. “Something like that.”</p><p>The anticipation to see Soonyoung open the oven door is stronger than Jihoon originally thought. He can feel his nerves bundle up tightly together as he watches his alpha stow away the last dish into the dishwasher. He decides to sit down for a bit, biting on his thumb just as Soonyoung turns to the oven door and bends down to open it.</p><p>The frown on Soonyoung’s face deepens as he reaches in to retrieve the bun.</p><p>“You baked...bread?” Soonyoung questions obliviously, turning the bun in his hand.</p><p>Jihoon bursts out laughing. He’s not sure if he’s laughing because of Soonyoung’s obliviousness or if he’s laughing because he’s nervous, but he’s definitely feeling a lot more uncertain now that Soonyoung is holding the bun with a confused expression.</p><p>“It’s a bun, Soonyoung,” Jihoon explains, but Soonyoung doesn’t catch on.</p><p>“Okay,” the alpha says slowly, peering at the bun then to Jihoon. “A bun. Why did you start laughing? Am I missing something? Is there something in it?”</p><p>Jihoon snorts. “No, babe — what is it?”</p><p>Soonyoung’s eyebrows furrow. “You just told me it was a bun.”</p><p>“Okay, and where did you find it?”</p><p>“In the oven.”</p><p>“Now can you say that in one complete sentence?”</p><p>Soonyoung looks uncertain, lips pursing as he glances at Jihoon and then back to the bun. “It’s a bun in the oven,” he says slowly. “You put a bun in the oven.”</p><p>“Actually, you did,” Jihoon chuckles, crossing his arms.</p><p>Soonyoung’s eyebrows furrow even more. “No, I didn’t,” he says. “<em> You </em>put it in the oven.”</p><p>“No, <em> you </em>did,” Jihoon tells him. “You put the bun in the oven and now I’m the one baking it.”</p><p>Soonyoung looks at him helplessly. “But I don’t even remember putting this bun in the oven!” he protests, looking peeved. “Are you pranking me? I don’t understand.”</p><p>“Soons — ” Jihoon laughs, pressing a hand against his forehead. God, this is so hard. “Soonyoung, it’s not a prank. I’m trying to tell you something. It would be great if you understand.”</p><p>“Okay?!” Soonyoung exclaims, glaring down at the bun. “What are you trying to tell me? You’re just saying I put a bun in the oven — which, by the way, I don’t even remember putting it in — and you’re the one baking it!”</p><p>“Soonyoung, there’s a bun in the oven.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know.”</p><p>“A <em> bun </em> in the <em> oven, </em>” Jihoon stresses. </p><p>“Yes, I know that!” Soonyoung huffs exasperatedly. “I can hear you. Why do you keep saying that? Okay, point made. There’s a bun in the oven, so what?”</p><p>Jihoon bursts out laughing again and it only seems to make the alpha more frustrated.</p><p>“What did I say?” he demands, walking over and placing the bun on the dining table. “What’s so funny? What am I missing?”</p><p>“Soonyoung.” Jihoon is almost crying from how hard he’s laughing. “Soonyoung, you’re so dense.”</p><p>Soonyoung scowls at him and crosses his arms, looking embarrassed. “What’s so funny about a bun in the oven?!”</p><p>That sets off another trigger in Jihoon and he starts laughing again, face hot with exertion and cheeks hurting. Soonyoung doesn’t look amused.</p><p>“Soonie,” Jihoon says with a gasp. “It’s a bun in the oven. Specifically, it’s <em> our </em>bun in the oven.”</p><p>“Okay, and? What, you wanna eat it?”</p><p>Jihoon’s breath gets stolen from him as he bangs the table with his fist, internally cursing Minghao for this horrible pregnancy reveal. At this rate, he’s never going to be able to tell Soonyoung they’re having a pup.</p><p>“Okay, okay,” he breathes, standing up and taking the bun. He turns to Soonyoung with a grin, grabbing his hands and turning them outwards to place the bun in his palms. “Let’s try it this way, okay? The oven represents me, and you — ” He places his hands underneath Soonyoung’s and lifts the bun up, “ — gave me this bun. Do you understand?”</p><p>Soonyoung stares at the bun. “Not really,” he admits honestly.</p><p>“Okay. Do you know what the bun represents?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Jihoon chuckles a little. “I’m gonna tell you a story, okay? Just listen.”</p><p>Soonyoung looks at him weirdly. “Okay…”</p><p>“When two people really like each other,” Jihoon begins, squeezing Soonyoung’s hands, “they fall in love. As they fall in love, they court each other, go on dates — they kiss and hug and hold hands and everything and anything that lovers do. You with me so far?”</p><p>Soonyoung nods.</p><p>“Okay. Now when two people <em> really </em>love each other, they do something together that’s a little more...intimate, and — ”</p><p>“Just say they have sex,” Soonyoung says bluntly.</p><p>“No, shut up. I’m explaining the story, not you,” Jihoon huffs, cheeks red with color. “Anyway, they do something <em> intimate </em>with each other, right? And sometimes, that intimacy breeds something else if they’re lucky: a bun.” He watches Soonyoung look down at the bun, realization slowly dawning on him. “Now, if I were to tell you that those two people are us and you were the one who gave me the bun and I’m the one who’s baking it, what would you say?”</p><p>Soonyoung stares at the bun for a moment before his eyes slowly trail up to Jihoon’s. </p><p>“I…” he begins, struggling for a moment. “I would...I’d ask why the fuck didn’t you just tell me you’re pregnant?” Before Jihoon knows it, Soonyoung’s face is crumpling and he begins to cry, suddenly holding the bun as if it were the most precious thing in the world. “You’re pregnant? We’re gonna have a pup?”</p><p>Jihoon’s heart squeezes at the sight and he coos at the alpha, suddenly feeling emotional seeing the tears welling in Soonyoung’s eyes. He laughs a little, reaching up to thumb away the tears and pressing a kiss on Soonyoung’s lips tenderly. </p><p>“It’ll be fully baked in nine months,” he adds softly, but his statement only seems to elicit another sob from Soonyoung.</p><p>Giggling, Jihoon is suddenly swooped into a hug that makes him wonder why he was ever nervous telling Soonyoung in the first place. </p><p>“Are you really pregnant?” Soonyoung cries into his neck.</p><p>Jihoon snorts. “Yes, I am.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yes, Soons, I’m pregnant.”</p><p>“We’re having a pup?”</p><p>“We’re both going to be fathers,” Jihoon assures, and Soonyoung sinks down onto his knees and lifts Jihoon’s shirt up abruptly, placing wet kisses on his stomach and making him squawk, “Soonyoung!”</p><p>“We’re going to be parents,” Soonyoung whispers against his skin, still holding the bun in his hand. “You have a bun in the oven…<em> I </em>put that bun in there.”</p><p>Jihoon can’t help but snort, hand patting the crown of Soonyoung’s head. “Yes, <em> you </em>put a bun in me.”</p><p>Soonyoung buries his face in Jihoon’s tummy, shoulders trembling. “I love you both so much already.” His voice is small and tiny, and Jihoon feels his heart soften at the sight.</p><p>He’s so damn lucky.</p><p>“We love you too, Soons,” he murmurs affectionately, letting Soonyoung shower their little bun with kisses again. “You’ll be the best father for our pup.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p> </p>
  <p><b>Hao: </b> So…<br/><b>Hao: </b>did he get it?</p>
  <p>he’s dumb <b>:Hoon</b></p>
  <p><b>Hao: </b>I know</p>
  <p>but I love him <b>:Hoon</b></p>
  <p><b>Hao: </b>I know</p>
  <p>he’ll be the best father <b>:Hoon</b></p>
  <p><b>Hao: </b> I know :)<br/><b>Hao: </b> congrats, hyung<br/><b>Hao: </b>I call being the godfather before seungkwan does</p>
  <p> 👍 <b>:Hoon</b></p>
</blockquote><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh god, writing this made me miss writing omega Jihoon even more, but I shall hold off for now :&lt; I have several fics in the process of writing and I want to focus on those fics first before I even think about writing omega Jihoon again. (Or maybe I can incorporate omega Jihoon into one of those said fics? Hmm.)</p><p>So yes, a bun in the oven :&lt; Oblivious Soonyoung is so cute, hehe, and Minghao is being the real mvp here. </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. “I hate you so much."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #7: “I hate you so much."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jihoon stares at the floorboards beneath him, feeling a little nauseous. When he first heard this idea come from Soonyoung’s mouth, he didn’t think it would’ve been too bad an idea in the first place. Now though, as he stares at his intertwined fingers in Soonyoung’s, he can’t help but despise his boyfriend for even suggesting the idea in the first place.</p><p>He’s never hated Soonyoung so much.</p><p>"Kwon Soonyoung, I hate you so much,” he voices out, words coming out a little weaker than he intended.</p><p>Soonyoung only laughs gleefully and squeezes Jihoon’s hand. “Look at the water, Jihoonie!” he says, taking a step forward to peer at the lake below them, and Jihoon instinctively tightens his grip on Soonyoung’s hand to prevent him from slipping. “We’re so high up! This is gonna be so fun!"</p><p>Jihoon takes a hesitant shuffle forward and peers over the floorboards tentatively. His vision blurs almost instantly and he takes a big step back, his other hand clutching quickly at the railing. Oh god, he thinks he’s going to be sick. He can feel the insides of his stomach doing somersaults and flipping around at the sight.</p><p>“Why did I agree to do this?” he mutters to himself. “It didn’t look that high up from the ground."</p><p>He removes his hand from Soonyoung’s grip and sinks down onto his knees, bracing himself forward and knocking his helmet against the floorboard. He inhales deeply for a few times and feels Soonyoung’s hand rubbing his back comfortingly, another laugh slipping from his lips.</p><p>“You’ll be fine, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung soothes. “All we have to do is jump!"</p><p>“That’s easy for you to say!” Jihoon says hysterically, looking up to glare at the dancer. “You’re not afraid of heights!” </p><p>Soonyoung quirks an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re afraid of heights?"</p><p>Jihoon flounders for a moment, mouth opening and closing to retaliate. “I’m not afraid of heights,” he says weakly. He carefully peers over the edge again and squeezes his eyes tight with a groan. “It’s the feeling in my stomach when I fall that gets me. I feel like my stomach flies up between my lungs or something."</p><p>Chuckling a little at Jihoon’s statement, Soonyoung presses a kiss to his nape. “You can back out, you know? You don’t have to do this. You can go back to the ground and watch me when I jump."</p><p>“You’re insane,” Jihoon grumbles, pushing his torso up from the floorboards so he’s kneeling. “Seriously, what breed of human are you?"</p><p>“Jihoonie, I’m a tiger, not a human."</p><p>Sighing, Jihoon rubs a hand over his face. “Okay, no. That’s — Let’s just get this over with. Once in a lifetime opportunity, right?” </p><p>He stands up and tries to ease the sick feeling in his stomach with deep breaths again. Soonyoung stands up too, and just as Jihoon is about to walk over to the man to make sure he’s properly and securely tied up, Soonyoung places his hands firmly on his shoulders and stares him firmly in the eye.</p><p>“Jihoonie,” he says. “You don’t have to do this if you really don’t want to. I want this to be fun for us."</p><p>Jihoon softens at that, smiling up at his boyfriend and taking their hands together to intertwine their fingers. “I want to do this,” he says, certain. “I want to do this with you. It might’ve not been the first thing I would’ve thought of, but I know you put a lot of thought into this. And...it would be nice to experience it just once."</p><p>Soonyoung smiles adoringly at him. “Nobody is a match for the Howoo combo,” he says proudly. “That’s my Jihoonie."</p><p>Jihoon ducks his head at that to hide his blooming smile. Soonyoung presses a kiss on his cheek before turning around to get his straps secured by the man who had the pleasure of witnessing their little moment. Jihoon is a little embarrassed, but then he sees the water again and his embarrassment washes away instantly.</p><p>Once his strap is hopefully secured, Jihoon hesitantly walks up to the ledge where Soonyoung is waiting for him. The feeling in his legs is beginning to go numb again and he takes another deep breath in, eyes flickering from the water to the little raft where another staff is waiting to catch them.</p><p>“Ready?” Soonyoung asks, giving him a reassuring smile.</p><p>“Wait,” Jihoon inhales. “Hold my hand."</p><p>Smile widening, Soonyoung reaches out and takes Jihoon’s hand in his, squeezing once. “Ready? We’ll jump on three."</p><p>Jihoon tries not to focus on the height. “Okay."</p><p>He wasn’t quite sure what he’d been expecting, but he definitely hadn’t been expecting for Soonyoung to count down <em>from</em> three. </p><p>“Three! Horanghae!"</p><p>Jihoon doesn’t realize Soonyoung has jumped from the ledge until he feels the falling feeling of his stomach going up between his lungs again. His hand tightens drastically around Soonyoung’s as he instinctively jumps with his boyfriend, screaming the whole way down.</p><p>“Kwon Soonyoung, I am going to murder you!” he shrieks amidst his screaming, and Soonyoung lets out a loud laugh in return.</p><p>Jihoon sees the water coming closer and closer before he’s yanked back by the bungee rope, and he lets out another squeal in return as he bounces in the air. He nearly loses his grip on Soonyoung’s hand by the force of it, and he reaches out, yanking Soonyoung towards him and wrapping all four of his limbs around his boyfriend’s body like a koala in an attempt to ease his adrenaline.</p><p>Soonyoung’s laughter is loud in his ears, and he wraps his arms around Jihoon as they swing back and forth in the air. </p><p>“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Soonyoung giggles, pressing his lips against Jihoon’s temple. “Are you okay?"</p><p>“Peachy,” comes Jihoon’s muffled reply after having buried his face in Soonyoung’s neck.</p><p>His heart is still pounding wildly in his chest as he tries catching his breath, and Soonyoung keeps rubbing his hands over his back, still laughing as they rock back and forth in the air, held only by the thick ropes attached to their buckles. The rush is over and he can finally relax, but he’s not so sure he’s ready to let go of Soonyoung quite yet. He can still feel the trembling of his hands where they’re gripping at Soonyoung’s sweater.</p><p>“The raft is coming, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung croons, and Jihoon hesitantly takes his face out to peer below them.</p><p>They’re a lot closer to the water than he originally thought, but the raft comes right below them just as their ropes begin to lower. Jihoon swings off of Soonyoung and climbs in eagerly, letting out a relieved sigh as he sinks into the raft. The staff unlatches the rope from his vest and proceeds to do the same to Soonyoung, then they’re both being transported to sweet land not too long after.</p><p>Soonyoung climbs out first, completely fine. Jihoon follows after him albeit a little clumsily, legs still shaking with adrenaline. Seeing his disheveled state, Soonyoung comes over with a laugh and holds onto Jihoon’s hands.</p><p>“You okay?” Soonyoung asks, wrapping Jihoon in his arms. “How was it?"</p><p>“You fucker,” Jihoon groans, lightly slapping Soonyoung’s shoulder. “I thought you were gonna count to three, not <em>from</em> three! What is wrong with you?"</p><p>He feels the vibration of Soonyoung’s chest against his shoulders as his boyfriend simply laughs at him. “So you wouldn't back out last minute,” he says, matter-of-factly. “You’re the type of person to gather all your confidence into one big ball then decide you don’t want to do the thing you want to do. I was just making sure you wouldn’t do that, otherwise I would’ve jumped alone."</p><p>“You should’ve jumped alone,” Jihoon grumbles, and Soonyoung only laughs again. “I hate you."</p><p>The dancer leans down and presses a kiss on his lips. “You love me."</p><p>“Not now."</p><p>Soonyoung remains unperturbed, still smiling like the fool he is. “Then you’ll love me again later."</p><p>Jihoon tucks his face in Soonyoung’s neck again, “Whatever. Can we go again?"</p><p>“Again?” He can hear the surprise in Soonyoung’s voice. “You want to go again? Wow, I didn’t think you’d want to with the way you latched onto me earlier."</p><p>“Shut up. I thought it was fun and at least I didn’t throw up,” Jihoon defends. “It’ll be easier for me now that I already experienced it once, and besides, who knows when our next chance to bungee-jump is?"</p><p>Soonyoung hums thoughtfully. “Good point,” he says. “Okay, how about this? We’ll bungee-jump again but you have to shout horanghae before you jump."</p><p>Jihoon groans and pulls away from their little cuddle. “Are you serious? No!"</p><p>Crossing his arms, Soonyoung takes a step back and looks away from him. “No? Then by all means, you can go jump alone."</p><p>Sighing, Jihoon rubs his hand over his face and contemplates for a moment, then two. Then, making his decision, he grabs Soonyoung by his shirt and proceeds to drag them both to the elevator to take them back to the top. He tries to ignore Soonyoung’s gleeful giggle behind him but he inevitably fails when he feels a smile curl on his lips.</p><p>“This is the only time I’m doing this, you hear me?” he huffs, turning his head to glare at his boyfriend.</p><p>“Loud and clear, captain,” comes Soonyoung’s delighted response.</p><p>Needless to say, when they get to the top, Jihoon starts having second thoughts again but Soonyoung is there like he always is to comfort him, to reassure him that everything is going to be okay. When it’s time for them to jump, Jihoon inhales all the air he can fit into his lungs to scream the loudest horanghae he can.</p><p>Soonyoung’s joy is clear on his face when Jihoon latches onto him like he did the first time, but Jihoon can’t find it in himself to be mad at the sight of slanted eyes and endearing fluffy cheeks.</p><p><em>You’re wrong, Kwon Soonyoung,</em> he thinks as he hangs onto his boyfriend like a lifeline. <em>I’ll still love you no matter what. I won’t love you later. I’ve loved you then and I’ll love you now, so thank you for being one of the only constants in my life.</em></p><p>”There’s the raft again, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung says. “Why don’t we take a break first and eat?"</p><p>Jihoon only hums and reaches up to press a kiss along Soonyoung’s cheek.</p><p>“Sounds like a plan."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I thought this would be a cute date idea, hehe. Also, I couldn’t get the image of Jihoon clinging to Soonyoung as they rock back and forth in the air out of my head, so tada~ </p><p>Anyway, this was really short but I already have another fic to post tomorrow, so please anticipate it :)</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. “I'm not jealous."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt #8: “I'm not jealous.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Requested by user cherryblackapple, hehehe. I'm sorry this took so long, I haven't been feeling too up to writing lately but now I've got some energy for it, hehe.</p><p>Enjoy reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><strong>Soonyoungie<br/>
</strong>Woozi baby~<br/>
I'll be hanging out with Wonwoo tonight.<br/>
Don't stay back too late or I'll be very upset :(<br/>
Love you~</p>
</blockquote><p>Two hours ago, that had been the last text Jihoon had received in the six hours he'd stayed in his studio. He'd been trying to get over a stupid producer's block for quite some time now, messing around with chord progressions but to no avail. Nothing just sounded right, and he was becoming increasingly frustrated with himself.</p><p>He sent a text back, consisting of a thumbs up emoji and a curt <em>love you too </em>before he swamped himself with his compositions again. He wasn't annoyed, no. He just wanted to get over this stupid producer's block of his.</p><p>He's in the middle of strumming his guitar, singing gibberish under his breath with his eyebrows furrowed and mouth turned upside down. Had Soonyoung been here to accompany him, even if they wouldn't be talking, perhaps he would've easily found a way to inspire Jihoon to make music. He's a natural like that.</p><p>After a couple more minutes of plucking the strings, Jihoon groans and strums his guitar aggressively. Realizing he's unleashing his anger on one of his more precious items, he pats the side of his guitar and apologizes to no one in particular.</p><p>He sighs.</p><p>Deciding he shouldn't stress himself on music that won't come to him so easily this time, he's about to save his progress and turn off his computer when his phone vibrates with a notification.</p><p>
  <em>Weverse.</em>
</p><p>Now Jihoon usually wouldn't bother opening notifications instantly. He likes scrolling through his social media when his time permits, but the moment he catches Wonwoo's name on the banner, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he reaches out before he can stop himself.</p><p>The sight that greets him when he opens the app has him feeling all sorts of ways.</p><p>It's a photoset of Wonwoo and Soonyoung in what looks to be the meeting room where they hold discussions.</p><p>In one photo, they're both sporting peace signs. Wonwoo stands behind Soonyoung, head tilted and a white mask covering his face. He's got a hand on Soonyoung's shoulder, who's sporting a beanie with his lips pulled into a pout.</p><p>As Jihoon scrolls down, he finds that the second photo is a little more intimate. Wonwoo's got both of his arms around Soonyoung's shoulders, his chin fitting in the crook of his neck. Soonyoung's lips are pursed into a smile, head tilted back a little to rest on Wonwoo's shoulder.</p><p>The third photo is a lot like the second photo. The only difference is that Wonwoo's head is tilted more, mask pulled down below his nose. Soonyoung's nose is scrunched up cutely, almost teasing.</p><p>Jihoon knows skinship is common between the members. Hell, even he does it with members other than Soonyoung, but he can recognize jealousy in himself when he feels it.</p><p>He scrolls through the comments for a bit, pursing his lips before he opts to set his phone down. Leaning back in his seat, he stares at the computer with a pout, eyebrows furrowed. </p><p>"Mmm, what to do..." he mutters to himself, using his feet to spin himself around aimlessly and closing his eyes.</p><p>He wasn't intending to fall asleep, but he supposes he'd exhausted his mind enough. Soonyoung's nagged him about his horrible sleeping habits, all with good reason, but it's hard for him to stick to a fixed sleeping schedule when his work constantly demands his time and energy.</p><p>He doesn't know how long he passed out for. He feels like he's on the verge of that line between reality and the other side, floating aimlessly where he couldn't care less about anything. There had been a swaying feeling and a voice murmuring in his ear with a familiar tone. The rest of his memory is cloudy.</p><p>When he wakes up, it's to a soft sigh below his chin and a comfortable weight resting on his torso.</p><p>"I keep telling you not to stay back so late, and now you're sleeping in your studio, aish," comes an annoyed mumble. "Seriously, what am I supposed to do with you?"</p><p>"Stay here with me," Jihoon croaks, not bothering to open his eyes even when he feels a jerk of surprise against his chest.</p><p>A heavy sigh. "Well, why should I stay if you always ignore me when I'm here?"</p><p>Jihoon peels his eyes open to stare at the pouty face sulking in front of him. He resists the urge to smile and reaches forward instead, prodding Soonyoung's cheek with his finger.</p><p>"Do I ignore you?" he asks.</p><p>Soonyoung lets out a tiny noise of indignation. "Yeah."</p><p>"Is that why you're always going out with the other members then?" He makes sure it doesn't sound like an accusation.</p><p>"Yeah. Sometimes they treat me 'cause they feel bad that I have a hermit boyfriend."</p><p>Jihoon knows Soonyoung's tone is meant to sound teasing, but he feels guilty anyway. He knows he hasn't been the best boyfriend as of late and honestly, he never really is when he decides to go into producer mode. He has a terrible habit of ignoring the outside world and forgetting its existence when he's working, and he relies heavily on Soonyoung to pull him out of his sweet escape.</p><p>Maybe Soonyoung is tired of reaching out first.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he tells him, voice laden with sleep but honest to the core. "Do you wanna go on a date tomorrow then?"</p><p>Soonyoung quirks an eyebrow. "Are you done with your comps?"</p><p>"No. I hit a block."</p><p>"But you wanna go on a date tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yeah. What's wrong?"</p><p>Soonyoung's lips twitch like he wants to smile, but he's quick to school his expression more neutrally. "Nothing."</p><p>Jihoon doesn't question it. "So what did you and Wons do today?"</p><p>"Nothing much. We walked around for a bit to the park and back," Soonyoung shrugs. "We just talked and stuff. Then I got hungry, so we walked back to the company building and ate a small dinner. That's all."</p><p>"We should go to the park tomorrow," Jihoon mutters, lazily patting the back of Soonyoung's head. "There's a sushi place somewhere near there. We can go if you want. I heard their sushi is really good."</p><p>The smile that tried to make its way on Soonyoung's lips earlier comes back full force. "Okay."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Nothing."</p><p>Jihoon isn't convinced. "What?"</p><p>Soonyoung's smile looks smug. "Are you jealous?"</p><p>Jihoon stops patting his head. "Not."</p><p>"Are too."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"You are." Soonyoung's eyes are glinting. "You got that tone, you know? And your expression changed. I can see it."</p><p>"My expression changes every second."</p><p>It's Soonyoung who doesn't look convinced this time. "Mhm, sure. Okay."</p><p>"I'm not jealous," Jihoon insists. "I'm just saying...we should go on a date."</p><p>"When you aren't done with your comps?" Soonyoung snorts. "Yeah, sure. Okay."</p><p>Jihoon purses his lips. "What does me being jealous have to do with my comps?"</p><p>"So you <em>are </em>jealous."</p><p>
  <em>Caught.</em>
</p><p>"Am not," he mutters, pulling his cap over his face and ignoring Soonyoung's amused chuckle. "What's wrong with just wanting to go on a date?"</p><p>He feels Soonyoung kiss his chin. "Nothing wrong with that. I miss you."</p><p>Oh, Jihoon pleads guilty.</p><p>He removes the cap off his face and runs a hand affectionately through Soonyoung's hair. "I miss you too. Sorry if I'm being distant."</p><p>"I know." Soonyoung's eyes curve up. "It's not easy for you, but that's why we have moments like these, right? So we can reassure each other that we're still here."</p><p>Jihoon smiles faintly. "Yeah."</p><p>Soonyoung stares at him for a moment or two, then lies his head back down on Jihoon's chest with a content sigh. "You should sleep now. You can work on the comps tomorrow."</p><p>"Mhm."</p><p>"And Jihoonie?" He raises his head up and leans forward, pecking Jihoon once, twice. "You're the only one for me, you know?"</p><p>Jihoon rolls his eyes and tries to ignore the heat creeping up on his neck. "There you go being sappy again."</p><p>"You like it when I tell these kinds of things to you," Soonyoung retaliates with a grin, kissing his chin again. Then he teases, "You have the key to my heart. I only have eyes for you. You're my other half, my soulmate, my one true love, the light to my dark, the Yin to my Yang, the Woozi to my Hoshi, the singer to my dancer, the—"</p><p>"Okay, okay. Point made," Jihoon interrupts, completely red. "Are you done?"</p><p>"I mean, I can go on. I've had this mental list for a while now."</p><p>"No. No, don't do that."</p><p>Laughing, Soonyoung bumps his nose against his chin affectionately. "Will an 'I love you' do then?"</p><p>Smiling, Jihoon surges forward and captures his lips, suddenly embodied with a mind full of wondrous melodies and a heart happily beating with love.</p><p>"I love you too, Soonyoungie."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've been thinking lately of writing in drafts lately and publishing works later in the year, maybe. Not too sure. I haven't felt like writing, huhu.</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/mistehri">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/mistehri">Curious Cat</a></p><p>As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>